MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2023) A huge fire that erupted Tuesday at a plastics recycling plant near Richmond in the US state of Indiana is expected to rage for several more days, the city administration says.
"Because of the nature of the fire and the material it is burning, it is expected to continue burning and producing smoke, soot, and ash for several more days," the statement reads.
Industrial fire engulfed two warehouses crammed with recycled plastic on Tuesday afternoon. Plastics had also been strewed around the grounds, making the entire place a fire hazard.
Mayor Dave Snow said the business owner had been previously given an order to clean up the property but did not act on it. Once the situation is under control, Snow said, the city administration will turn its full attention to holding the owner responsible.
"That business owner is fully responsible for all of this. We have the unsafe building order ... and everything that ensured here � the fire, the damages, the risk that our first responders have taken, the risk the citizens are under � are the responsibility of that negligent business owner," he told reporters.
Residents living within a half-mile radius of the plant have been ordered to evacuate, while those living downwind of the site have been told to continue sheltering in place.
The Richmond city authorities did not confirm that the smoke coming from the burning plant contained any toxic compounds, after Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said it was "definitely toxic."
The US Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring air near the site for signs of potential health hazards, such as asbestos, but no dangerous chemicals have been detected. The next update from the agency is expected on Thursday morning.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown and will likely remain so until after the fire has been extinguished. The State Fire Marshal's Office said it will be "days" before the complex is safe for investigators to enter.
