Indiana Recycling Plant Inferno Sparks Health Hazard Fears

A large fire at an industrial site in Richmond, Indiana, that broke out on Tuesday has prompted evacuations within a half-mile radius over concerns about the health risks the "toxic" smoke may pose to residents.

An estimated 2,000 people have been told to leave their homes—roughly 6 percent of the city's population. Those outside of the evacuation zone have been urged to shelter in place.

The industrial blaze is the latest of several recent incidents in the region, stoking concern about the potential impact of harmful pollution on the surrounding population and the local environment.

Richmond's mayor, Dave Snow, told the Associated Press that the inferno had occurred at the site of a former factory, which of late had been used to store plastics among other things for recycling or resale. On Twitter, he described it as a "dangerous" and "serious, large-scale" blaze.

Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown told Fox59 News that the fire was "fully loaded with unknown types of plastics," while Steve Jones, an Indiana State Fire Marshall, said the smoke was "definitely toxic" and that the fire was "going to burn for a few days."

Smoke from plastics can be especially harmful, causing severe irritation to the eyes, nose and lungs—and can cause long-term effects. Combustion can release toxic gases and contaminants, including dioxins and furans, which are "persistent" pollutants that can cause lasting damage to humans and the environment.

City officials said the evacuation order would remain in place while it awaits the results of testing by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Snow wrote on Twitter that operations to combat the fire would continue through the night.

In a statement on Wednesday, the EPA said officials arrived on-site around 8 p.m. ET and have been monitoring air quality from 15 sites overnight. It added that it would be collecting debris samples from the surrounding area "to determine whether asbestos-containing materials may have left the site," and asked residents not to touch any debris they find.

A spokesperson for IDEM told Newsweek that it was operating in an advisory capacity and had contacted the EPA for air quality monitoring. "When conditions allow, IDEM will collect water and soil samples around the facility to determine if there has been any environmental impact to the community as a result of the fire," they added.

In an update at 11:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) said that the fire was "under control and not expected to spread," but added: "Because of the nature of the fire and the fuel it is burning, it is expected to continue burning and producing smoke, soot, and ash for several more days."

Snow said that the fire had been contained by fire crews on three sides of the industrial property as of 6:44 p.m. ET, and that they were working to secure the eastern side of the site, which borders NW 5th Street.

Richmond sits on the border between Indiana and Ohio, to the east of Indianapolis and to the west of Dayton. The plume of thick, black smoke is visible for miles around, being spotted in Muncie, Indiana—some 35 miles away—and a westerly wind has pushed it into Ohio.

WRTV reported that debris had fallen approximately 10 miles from the blaze in New Paris, Ohio, while the National Weather Service in Indianapolis revealed that smoke from the fire was visible in both radar and satellite imaging, pushing as far west as West Manchester, Ohio.

A spokesperson for the Ohio EPA told Newsweek it was assessing and monitoring in Preble County following the fire, and was able to assist Indiana if needed. They added that air quality data so far "shows no risk to Ohio residents."

"The safety of Ohioans is always our primary concern and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with our partners," a spokesperson for the Ohio EMA said.

The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined, however city officials noted that safety concerns had previously been raised about the facility.

"They were under a city order to clean up and remediate that site," Snow told AP. "We knew that was a fire hazard the way they were storing materials."

His words were echoed by Brown, who told Fox59 that the owner of the facility had received a safety citation before the fire had broken out concerning the stacking of plastics. "He has been warned several times," Brown said, adding: "We were aware of the situation we were dealing with."

Brown expressed frustration, suggesting that the fire could have been preventable. He said the fire department know "it wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when this was going to happen."

The fire in Richmond comes just over two months after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, caused a toxic spill and a large fire. In that incident, emergency responders executed a controlled burn of five cars containing vinyl chloride—a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics—venting noxious gases and dioxins into the atmosphere, over fears they might explode.

Later the same month, an explosion at an industrial plant in Bedford, Ohio left one worker dead and dozens injured, sending molten metal and debris flying over nearby buildings.

Update 04/12/23, 10:38 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a statement from the EPA.

Update 04/13/23, 2:42 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from spokespeople for IDEM, the Ohio EPA and Ohio EMA.