Industrial Fire, Releases 'Toxic' Smoke, Leading to Evacuation Orders in Indiana.<br />On April 11, over 2,000 people were ordered <br />to evacuate their homes after a fire broke out<br />at an industrial site in Richmond, Indiana.<br />The Daily Beast reports that officials claim <br />the site was used to store a large quantity <br />of "unknown types" of plastics.<br />The massive fire released a towering plume <br />of smoke into the air before being contained <br />by firefighters several hours later.<br />According to Stephen Jones, a state fire marshal, <br />despite being "contained," the fire is expected <br />to continue burning "for a few days.".<br />The Daily Beast reports that officials offered <br />no timeline for how long completely <br />extinguishing the fire is expected to take.<br />Jones said that the evacuation zone, which <br />currently impacts over 2,000 people in <br />Wayne County, could change if the wind shifts.<br />The smoke is <br />definitely toxic. <br />We don’t want the <br />residents in the smoke, Stephen Jones, Indiana fire marshal, via WXIN.<br />Local Mayor David Snow told the Associated Press <br />that the 175,000-square-foot site has been <br />used to store plastics for recycling since 2009.<br />The Daily Beast reports that the site is located <br />70 miles east of Indianapolis, and only <br />four miles from Ohio's western border.<br />The Daily Beast reports that the site is located <br />70 miles east of Indianapolis, and only <br />four miles from Ohio's western border.<br />Snow said that the fire's impact on air quality <br />and surface water runoff is being assessed <br />by both state and federal regulators
