A fire erupted at a plastics recycling facility in Richmond, causing a black cloud of smoke to spread over the east central area of the city.
On Tuesday, a massive fire erupted at a plastics recycling center in east central Indiana, leading to the evacuation of nearby areas and raising concerns about the air quality due to the towering plume of black smoke. Mayor Dave Snow reported that officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management were present in Richmond that night to assess the situation.
Mandatory evacuations were issued by officials for individuals residing within a half-mile radius of the fire. The evacuation orders were projected to continue throughout the night. During a press conference on Tuesday, State Fire Marshal Steve Jones expressed concern, stating that burning plastics release a variety of chemicals, which is alarming.
According to health officials, burning plastic can release toxic chemicals, such as dioxins, into the air and groundwater, while also releasing cancer-causing chemicals like benzo(a)pyrene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Steve Jones, the State Fire Marshal, warned that the smoke is hazardous, especially for elderly people who have breathing difficulties.
The fire broke out after 2 p.m. at the 175,000-square-foot facility, and it rapidly spread to six structures on the property. The fire chief, Tim Brown, reported that it was contained by nightfall, but crews remained on-site as the fire continued to smolder, producing acrid air. The origin of the fire was a tractor-trailer, but it is unclear if the cargo was the primary fuel source. Brown said that plastic containers inside the facility and piled high outside, along with parked tractor-trailers, created an obstacle for firefighters.
Jones estimated that the fire would continue burning for a few days. While four people were believed to have been on-site when the fire began, all were accounted for. However, a firefighter suffered a sprained ankle from a fall during the operation.
With the assistance of other agencies, firefighters were able to contain the flames that had threatened nearby homes, even with all the city's fire vehicles deployed to the scene, according to Chief Brown. He described the fire as the largest he had ever seen during his career and noted that they only had access to one side of the building.
The name of the facility owner has not been disclosed by officials. Brown mentioned that the city of Richmond owned a fractional share of the property. He also stated that the owner had been warned on multiple occasions that the piles of plastic and parked trailers posed a fire hazard. "We knew it wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when this was going to happen," Brown said.
Richmond, with a population of around 35,700, is located approximately 71 miles east of Indianapolis and 40 miles west of Dayton, Ohio. The site of the fire was previously occupied by Hoffco/Comet Industries, which manufactured tractor parts, industrial farm implements, and vehicle parts such as clutches until it closed in 2009. Brown added that Weed Eater lawn-trimming products were also produced at the facility in the 1970s.
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