Richmond Toxic Fire: City takes part of burning property for costs owner is ‘fully responsible for’

RICHMOND — Richmond city has taken and now owns part of the burning property citing that the owner is responsible for recouping any costs related to bodily injuries of emergency responders and nearby residents in addition to surrounding properties.

The culpability comes after the owner was cited multiple times prior to the fire that the placement of plastics and semi-trailers posed a fire hazard.

>> PHOTOS: Large-scale fire continues to send plumes of black smoke into air in Richmond

News Center 7 previously reported on the breaking news that multiple fire departments from Indiana and the Miami Valley were responding to a structure fire called in shortly after 2 p.m. on NW F Street, Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown stated in a press conference. As the call came in, Richmond firefighters stated that they could see the smoke from their station over a mile away.

When first responders arrived, they found a semi-trailer filled with an “unknown type of plastics” fully involved in flames, Brown said. As the fire burned, it spread to other properties and posed a challenge for firefighters.

“We only have one access into where the fire was. All the other access roads were blocked by piles of plastics and other semi-trailers,” Brown said. As a result, firefighters had to take a defensive position and attempt to control the flames.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGRE: ‘It wasn’t if, it’s when;’ Owner of Richmond plastics facility cited multiple times prior to fire

An update from city and state officials Wednesday morning showed that crews were able to contain the flames, preventing further damage to surrounding properties.

The fire is contained inside the commercial complex and did not get into the residential area, Brown said.

To attack the multi-day fire today, firefighters are planning on pulling apart the building to try to access the fire and fully extinguish it, Brown stated.

Unofficial estimates stated that about 13 and a half acres of the 14 acres lot burned or is still burning, Brown informed. About 1,000 to 2,000 people were displaced following the fire.

The incident also caused a minor injury to a firefighter, Richmond City Mayor Dave Snow stated.

Snow added that the owner of the company, formerly named, My Way Trading, is “fully responsible for” the damages to properties and to the people. As a result, the city possessed a part of the burning property as a measure to recoup some of the losses the fire has caused to the neighborhood.

However, Snow refrained from delving into the details of the litigation process involving the costs because the focus remained on the Richmond people and emergency responders.

The EPA continued to take air samples throughout the day to test for dangerous compounds, a representative from the department stated. They found styrene and benzene, among others, that are considered cancer-causing compounds.

Due to the structure’s age, the debris could also pose a risk because of the possible asbestos, the EPA spokesperson said. As a result, people were advised to leave the debris alone.

There is no current danger to the drinking water, Brown said. The water from the area is being diverted to a treatment facility for sanitation purposes.

Officials warned “if you can see the smoke, you’re in the smoke. Get out of the smoke,” a representative for the Indiana Health Department said. Although masks may help filter some of the particulates, the best option was to relocate and not breathe in the carcinogenic smoke.

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