Tuesday, some residents of Richmond, Indiana, were forced to evacuate their residences to avoid inhaling “certainly toxic” smoke as a result of a fire in an industrial facility.
WXIN reported that Richmond’s mayor, Dave Snow, stated that the fire broke out in a building that once produced lawnmowers but is now used to store plastics and other recyclable materials.
Within half a mile of the facility, residents were urged to evacuate to sanctuaries staffed by the Red Cross and other volunteers at Bethesda Ministries or Oak Park Pentecostal Church.
Please see attached map of evacuation zone. pic.twitter.com/mnDbZtu8ox
— Dave Snow (@mayordavesnow) April 11, 2023
We are continuing operations through overnight hours. A bus will remain available for evacuation needs. I am staying in contact with our Fire Department, Police Department, and Wayne County Emergency Management Agency, and will continue to relay information as it is available.
— Dave Snow (@mayordavesnow) April 12, 2023
The fire was anticipated to last “a few days,” Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones stated at the scene.
The proprietor of the facility had previously been cited for the unsafe storage of plastics at the location, according to Tim Brown, the fire chief of Richmond.
“He has been warned several times,” Brown said. “I don’t know when exactly that was, but we were aware of the situation we were dealing with.”
“It is very frustrating for all of us,” he added. “The battalion chief on today was very frustrated when he pulled up because we knew it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when this was going to happen.”
The 175,000-square-foot facility was characterized as “massive” and “filled wall-to-wall with unknown types of plastics.”
SMOKE from Richmond fire detected by area Doppler radar. Winds carry plume east along I-70 into Ohio just after 4pm Tuesday #INwx #OHwx pic.twitter.com/qu65m5kUMj
— Brian Wilkes (@BrianWilkes59wx) April 11, 2023
More on this story via The Western Journal:
“The smoke is definitely toxic,” Jones, the fire marshal, told WXIN. “This fire is going to burn for a few days.”CONTINUE READING…
