A massive industrial fire in Indiana caused great black clouds to billow over Richmond, resulting in evacuations on Tuesday.
The fire at a recycling plant in Richmond was still burning Wednesday, according to NBC 5 DFW. Richmond, a city with a population of more than 50,000, is about 70 miles outside of Indianapolis on the Ohio border.
“They were under a city order to clean up and remediate that site,” Richmond Mayor Dave Snow told the Associated Press, explaining that the fire could end up burning for days. “We knew that was a fire hazard the way they were storing materials.”
Snow said federal and state regulators were assessing the air quality of the surrounding area.
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Officials believe the fire was started on a nearby tractor-trailer and spread to the factory, which currently stores plastics and recyclables. The cause of the fire is unknown.
“This is an indoor and outdoor storage facility — very, very large,” said Snow, per NBC 5.
While no injuries were reported, hundreds of people were told to evacuate the area half a mile from the site of the fire. People living farther away were asked to keep their pets inside and close their windows.
One worship center in the area opened its doors to evacuees. Ken Harris, a senior pastor at the Bethesda Worship Center, told NBC 5 that the center would provide temporary shelter while hotel rooms for those displaced were arranged.
Schools in Richmond were reportedly closed Wednesday as a precaution.
“The smoke is definitely toxic,” said Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, per NBC 5. “So we’ve put in an evacuation within a half-mile, I believe is what it is, and so we don’t want the residents in the smoke. And as the wind changes, we may change the direction of the evacuations. Other than that, especially, elderly people that have difficulty breathing should stay inside or temporarily move out of the area.”