United States: Thousands evacuated after fire breaks out at former industrial site

A fire at an abandoned plastic recycling plant in North America on Wednesday forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes from toxic fumes. The fire, which started on Tuesday, “has spread to two structures on the site and an outdoor warehouse,” Richmond, Indiana, Mayor Dave Snow said at a news conference.
“It’s a factory that collects plastic and other materials for recycling or resale,” he said. Footage released by authorities showed large plumes of black smoke.

An Environmental Protection Agency official said his crews are conducting tests and have yet to find any toxic materials, but could not yet check the interior of the evacuation zone as a safety measure.

Indiana State Fire Chief Steve Jones told local media Tuesday that the smoke was “toxic.” He said on Wednesday that although the fire was under control, it would continue to burn for several days. An evacuation zone of 800 km was ordered around the site, forcing about 2,000 people to flee their homes, according to officials and US media.

‘Negligent and reckless’

According to elected official Dave Snow, the city deemed it unsafe and ordered the owner to bring it up to standard, without success. “The owner of this company is fully responsible for all this. “He was careless and reckless, which led to the danger of many people.”

The disaster comes two months after the train derailmentOhio A train carrying chemicals including vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic and highly flammable chemical used in the manufacture of plastics. The massive fire and subsequent controlled releases of the material, carried out by railway officials to avoid a possible explosion, led to the evacuation of around 2,000 people and raised fears of severe environmental consequences.

(AFP)Show comments