Two thousand people in eastern Indiana had to be evacuated because of the hazardous smoke coming from a recycling plant fire.
The recycling facility in Richmond was engulfed in a dense, black plume of smoke due to the burning of plastics, among other things. According to Indiana's state fire marshal, plastics produce toxic compounds when burned, as per a CNN report.
Those living within a half mile of the Richmond recycling plant fire were evacuated, while those living downwind are being instructed to remain put, according to a report from Geo News.
Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown said that at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the 175,000 square-foot building burned down, with the fire starting in an area with significant heaps of plastic.
While Brown claimed that a tractor-trailer was the ignition point of the Richmond fire, it is unclear if the truck's contents served as the blaze's principal fuel source.
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Richmond Fire Expected To Persist For a Few Days
The Richmond fire, which was out by evening, caused damage to six buildings on the property. Firefighters persisted in their efforts, although the fire was still burning and sending up clouds of toxic smoke. According to Jones, the fire is likely to continue for at least a few more days.
A fireman took a tumble and hurt his ankle, but the four people who were assumed to have been there when the Richmond recycling plant fire started turned out to be unharmed.
Around 36,000 people call Richmond, Indiana, home. It's located about 71 miles east of Indianapolis and 40 miles west of Dayton, Ohio.
Hoffco/Comet Industries, a maker of clutches and other auto components, had been operating at the site before the blaze. Fire Chief Tim Brown claims that in the 1970s, the factory also made Weed Eater lawn-trimming goods. Unfortunately, production at the factory halted in 2009, per NBC News.
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