Industrial Fire Releases 'Toxic' Smoke Leading to Evacuation Orders in Indiana

Industrial Fire, Releases 'Toxic' Smoke, Leading to Evacuation Orders in Indiana.

On April 11, over 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes after a fire broke out at an industrial site in Richmond, Indiana.

The Daily Beast reports that officials claim the site was used to store a large quantity of "unknown types" of plastics.

The massive fire released a towering plume of smoke into the air before being contained by firefighters several hours later.

According to Stephen Jones, a state fire marshal, despite being "contained," the fire is expected to continue burning "for a few days.".

The Daily Beast reports that officials offered no timeline for how long completely extinguishing the fire is expected to take.

Jones said that the evacuation zone, which currently impacts over 2,000 people in Wayne County, could change if the wind shifts.

The smoke is definitely toxic.

We don’t want the residents in the smoke, Stephen Jones, Indiana fire marshal, via WXIN.

Local Mayor David Snow told the Associated Press that the 175,000-square-foot site has been used to store plastics for recycling since 2009.

The Daily Beast reports that the site is located 70 miles east of Indianapolis, and only four miles from Ohio's western border.

The Daily Beast reports that the site is located 70 miles east of Indianapolis, and only four miles from Ohio's western border.

Snow said that the fire's impact on air quality and surface water runoff is being assessed by both state and federal regulators