TIPP CITY — As a massive fire at a plastics recycling facility in Richmond continues to burn Wednesday, a Tipp City woman is raising concerns about the potential impacts it could have on pets.
Katie Bauer, who has been a veterinary technician for over a decade, says she took her dog Sadie out for a morning walk. When they got home, she says she noticed something on her paws.
>> PHOTOS: Large-scale fire continues to send plumes of black smoke into air in Richmond
“Sadie had black all over her paws, and so we immediately wiped it down,” Bauer said. “We also noticed that the air quality was really bad— there was a chemical fiery type smell, so we kind of just connected the dots and figured that it was soot blowing over from Richmond as it is really windy today.”
Bauer says she pet sits in a nearby neighborhood, and a dog there also had soot on its paws.
Although she’s can’t say for sure if this poses a danger to pets, Bauer says its better to be safe than sorry.
>> Richmond Toxic Fire: ‘Smoke is definitely toxic;’ Carcinogenic chemicals found in testing
“It’s always better safe than sorry, so I would just recommend wiping down your pets feet as a precaution at this point,” she said.
Evacuation orders are still in place for everyone who lives within a half mile of the burning facility in Richmond.
State and city fire officials are warning the public of the toxic smoke billowing from the fire.
Recent tests by the EPA found several toxic compounds in the air, including those known to cause cancer: styrene and benzene, among others.
“The smoke is definitely toxic,” Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said.
News Center 7 will continue providing updates as they become available.