A huge, "definitely toxic" fire at a recycling plant in Richmond, Indiana broke out yesterday, forcing two thousand people living within a half-mile to evacuate. One of the main items burning is plastic, reported CNN, and according to one person who evacuated, the smell is terrible.
"There is a host of different chemicals that plastics give off when they're on fire, and it's concerning," the state Fire Marshal Steve Jones said in a statement.
Stunning footage shows a massive amount of black smoke above orange flames (see video below, posted by Breaking News Alerts), and it could take days to put out the fire, according to officials.
Unfortunately, officials "were aware that what was operating here was a fire hazard," according to Richmond Mayor Dave Snow, admitting today that "this was a fear for us."
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