AKRON, Ohio — Residents have been informed they can return to their homes after a fire involving several hazardous materials at the SMB Products chemical plant prompted an evacuation.
Here's the latest as of Friday morning:
What happened
Around 1 p.m., the Akron Fire Department responded to a fire on Rosemary Boulevard. Upon arrival, they found black smoke and flames from a commercial building; all employees had been evacuated.
The fire involved chemicals such as propane, methanol and xylene, according to Akron Fire District Chief Sierjie Lash, who was concerned about the structural integrity of the building.
Akron Fire Chief Leon Henderson told News 5 on the scene Thursday there was a risk of the building exploding.
Due to the chemicals and the extent of the flames, Akron Fire said fire companies used a defensive approach to battle the fire.
"We tried to isolate and mitigate the fire... nothing happened," Henderson told anchor Tessa DiTirro. "We had to evacuate the area; we ran out of chemicals to even put on the fire because we were making no headway."
Residents in the area were evacuated from their homes and businesses after the fire department said a "small explosive sound was heard from the building."
The fire was under control around 7:30 p.m.; however, crews remained on the scene due to the nature of the fire.
Akron Fire said that one firefighter was injured and transported to a nearby hospital. No other injuries have been reported.
At 4:45 p.m., Akron officials held a press conference concerning the fire. You can watch the full press conference here:
There was some confusion about the name of the business involved. After the press conference, the City of Akron confirmed its SMB Products.
Residents evacuated
Around 3 p.m., residents in the area were evacuated and transported to community centers away from the fire.
Close to 10,000 people, including 1,000 children under the age of 5, reside within a one-mile radius of the site.
The evacuation zone was about half a mile around the building and encompassed multiple residential neighborhoods.
Mayor Malik told News 5's Bob Jones that the city had mobilized resources in response.
Around 8 p.m., the evacuation ban was lifted after the EPA found the air quality was within normal limits, Akron Fire said. Utilities are also being returned.
What was seen outside of evacuation zone
Social media users in the area posted photos and videos of a tower of smoke rising into the sky.
Just after 4 p.m., the smoke was thick enough to be picked up on radar.
