The Richmond Indiana fire is still burning and is expected to burn for days. The fire that officials believe was started by a semi-truck that caused the 14-acre My Way Trading Warehouse plastic recycling plant to catch fire has caused plums of black smoke to cover the sky. However, it is not clear what caused the semi-truck to catch fire, but officials believe no foul play is at work. More than 2,000 residents, within a half-mile radius of the fire, have evacuated the surrounding area as a result. This is up for change however due to the amount of smoke and the direction of the wind.
Officials urge residents to turn off heating and cooling appliances if sheltered near the fire. The fire, roughly 70 miles east of Indianapolis, has caused Wayne County schools to close and shelters to be set up. Director of the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency Mathew Cain explained to the media that the fine particles and toxic nature of the smoke produced from the fire could cause a host of respiratory problems. The My Way Trading Warehouse has been previously cited for violation by Richmond’s Unsafe Building Commission. With the federal EPA monitoring the air quality in the eastern Indiana and Western Ohio area, officials ask to try to stay aware of the developing situation.
