AKRON, Ohio — Crews are still working to put out hotspots from Thursday’s chemical fire in Akron, but Mayor Shammas Malik said the air around the scene is safe.
The fire broke out at a plant that produces chemical sprays and health care products, forcing the evacuation of everyone within a half-mile radius.
The cause of the fire and total list of chemicals inside the plant are still being investigated, and the EPA remains onsite to monitor conditions.
Akron Fire Chief Leon Henderson said this is still an active situation.
“Our investigative team is getting boots on the ground,” he said. “Once the smoldering is over, once the fire is out, we will have our teams that started doing the interviews yesterday, starting getting a list of all the chemicals that were compiled in the premise. We'll have more to say on that in the future.”
One firefighter was hurt and is still in the hospital. No employees at the plant were injured.
“In particular, Akron Fire and Akron Police, they showed incredible bravery and professionalism in the face of a large and fluid situation,” Malik said. “Their efforts were nothing short of heroic.”