Richmond Indiana Fire Update: Recycling Plant Spews Out Toxic Smoke

Richmond recycling plant burns and spews out toxic smoke in Eastern Indiana
The incident has already caused the evacuation of thousands of residents
The blaze also led countless others to wonder what effects it could have on their health and the environment

Richmond, Indiana, authorities warned residents of the raging fire shooting out toxic smoke from an eastern Indiana recycling plant, saying that it has already prompted the evacuation of thousands of individuals.

Officials added that the incident has already resulted in countless people wondering what the situation could do to their health and environment. Plastics were reportedly among the stuff that burned on Tuesday at the plant in Richmond.

Richmond Indiana Recycling Plant Fire

Furthermore, residents nearby and somewhat far away could see the thick, black column of smoke rising from the plant that Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said was "definitely toxic."

On Tuesday evening, Jones said that the smoke consisted of various chemicals that plastics are known to give off when they burn. He noted that the situation, mainly due to the size of the smoke, was concerning, as per CNN.

The fire marshal said he expected the fire to last several days. While the blaze's origin remains a mystery, city officials are already aware that what was operating at the plant was a fire hazard. On Wednesday, Richmond Mayor Dave Snow said that this incident was something that they feared.

Fortunately, no major injuries were reported about the fire, but officials said that roughly 2,000 of the city's 35,000 residents near the Ohio border were forced to leave their homes. Jones added that the evacuation zone affected residents living up to a half-mile from the fire scene.

Officials urged residents located downwind of the evacuation zone, to the east and northeast of the fire, to shelter in place and bring their pets inside. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted air quality tests and did not find toxic chemicals such as styrene or benzene as of Wednesday morning.

The Dangers of Potentially Toxic Smoke

The EPA also plans to collect debris samples from the blaze and search school grounds for any leftover debris. According to Yahoo News, these will be brought in for sample tests for asbestos because the agency believes that materials containing asbestos could have been present in the building due to how old it was.

People living in the area were advised to touch debris or mow over it once officials could acquire sufficient samples. The EPA expects initial test results to be available by Thursday morning.

The Richmond, Indiana, Unsafe Building Commission conducted a review in 2020 that found that the site of the fire lacked sufficient fire suppression systems. The agency added that fire lanes surrounding the building were blocked and would not function properly.

During a briefing on Wednesday, Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown said that fire crews and the city have been working on getting My Way Trading Warehouse to clean up its buildings "for some time." Snow added that city officials were aware of the operation's risks, said the Indy Star.