Ind. Recycling Plant Fire Forces Thousands to Evacuate as Officials Say It Could Burn for Days
The smoke is “definitely toxic,” Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said at a news conference on Tuesday
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their small town on Tuesday after a large fire engulfed a Richmond, Indiana recycling plant. Officials say the fire could burn for days.
The fire department arrived to find a semi-trailer full of "unknown type of plastics" on fire, according to Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown. Soon the fire spread to other trailers and then the building.
The fire is emitting a large plume of black smoke which forced an evacuation for all residents living within a half mile of the plant, according to a statement from the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency.
The smoke is "definitely toxic," Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said in a news briefing on Tuesday.
Related:Tesla 'Spontaneously' Catches Fire on Highway, Requiring About 6,000 Gallons of Water to Extinguish
"There is a host of different chemicals that plastics give off when they're on fire, and it's concerning and we want to make sure we give people heads-up on an evacuation," Jones added. Though they have the fire under control, Jones said they expect it to burn for several days.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Residents that live outside the evacuation zone but are still downwind of the fire were told to shelter in place, "keeping windows and doors closed, turning off HVAC units if they draw outside air, and keeping pets inside," per the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency.
The Richmond Community School District canceled all classes and activities on Wednesday due to the fire, according to their website.
Any residents that find debris in their yard are asked "not disturb or touch the debris" because it is "unknown what chemicals may or may not be in the debris," Wayne County Emergency Management Agency officials said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"Once the fire got out of control, it darkened down on us, (and) we backed out real quick and then went into defensive mode," Brown said at the news conference. He added that they were able to stop the fire from spreading to nearby residences.
"It's probably the largest fire I've seen in my career," Brown said.A firefighter fell and hurt his ankle, CNN reported, but no other injuries have been reported and everyone in the plant has been accounted for.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
