A fire that started Tuesday afternoon at a recycling business in Richmond, Indiana, was releasing hazardous fumes and caused the evacuation of roughly 2,000 people, officials said. The fire is anticipated to continue for days.
Wayne County officials expect early air monitoring findings on Wednesday. Plastics were among the materials on fire at the business, and the smoke – a thick, black column rose from the site Tuesday – is “definitely toxic,” according to Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones in a news conference.
“There is a host of different chemicals that plastics give off when they’re on fire, and it’s concerning,” Jones said Tuesday evening, adding that he expects the fire to burn for days.
An evacuation order was issued for homeowners within a half-mile of the fire, and authorities could amend the order if the wind direction changes, according to Jones. Residents to the east and northeast of the evacuation zone were encouraged to shelter in place and bring pets indoors.
Residents who encounter fire debris in their yards were advised to “not disturb or touch the debris.”
“It is unknown what chemicals may or may not be present in the debris,” according to Wayne County Emergency Management Agency authorities.
Preliminary air monitoring findings “should begin to return by daybreak” from US Environmental Protection Agency labs, officials said Tuesday night, adding that evacuation orders remain in effect indefinitely.
The massive smoke plume and health concerns are reminiscent of the conflagration and hazardous material drainage caused by a freight train crash and fire in East Palestine, Ohio earlier this year. According to studies, high quantities of several substances detected after the disaster could cause long-term dangers.
The cause of the Indiana fire was not immediately identified and would most likely not be determined until after the fire has been doused, according to officials.
According to Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown, when firefighters arrived at the recycling business on Tuesday, they discovered a semi-trailer behind one of the plant’s buildings blazing in flames. According to Brown, the trailer was loaded with “unknown type of plastics,” and the fire spread to other stacks of plastics around the trailer and finally to the building.
According to the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency, the evacuation order affected around 2,000 households. Officials have stated that they are awaiting the results of air monitoring testing in order to determine the duration of the evacuation orders.
“We do not expect the evacuation order to be lifted tonight,” stated Richmond Mayor Dave Snow on Tuesday. “A bus will remain in place if needed, and shelters are ready to accept citizens from the area.”
The enormous fire forced the Richmond Community School District to postpone all classes on Wednesday, with administrators encouraging faculty and staff to follow shelter-in-place orders and stating that no online lessons will be offered.
“It’s a big enough fire that it’s just not gonna be tonight,” Jones added. “It’s going to burn for a while.”
The EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management were on the scene “evaluating any potential hazards resulting from the fire,” Snow wrote on Facebook.
According to Brown, firefighters had difficulty accessing the site due to mountains of plastic blocking access roads. “It creates quite a challenge because we only have access to one side of the building,” he explained.
“Once the fire got out of control, it darkened down on us, (and) we backed out real quick, then went into defensive mode,” Brown explained.
The fire spread to multiple structures at the site, but responders were able to stop it before it reached residential areas, according to Brown.
“It’s probably the largest fire I’ve ever seen in my career,” Brown added.
According to Brown, one firefighter was injured after falling and injuring his ankle, and he was treated and released from the hospital.
There were no additional injuries reported. Everyone who was said to be working at the facility when crews arrived has been found, he said.
Source: edition.cnn.com