Thursday’s chemical fire at SMB Products in East Akron remains active with 12 firefighters on the scene as of Friday afternoon.
At a noon press conference, Akron Fire Chief Leon Henderson said methanol, xylene, propane, ether and ethanol were in the building at 1081 Rosemary Blvd. at the time of the fire. However, he said they cannot confirm if any of the chemicals were the cause of the fire.
“Due to the lack of structural integrity of the site, we’ve had to bring some of the construction equipment to help tear down the additional walls so our teams can effectively reach the areas that are still burning and put those fires out safely and effectively,” Henderson said.
He estimated that it could take anywhere from eight to 12 hours to fully extinguish the fire.
Outside of a one-block section of Rosemary Boulevard that is limited to traffic, all roads in the area near the fire site are open and operating normally, said Akron Police Chief Brian Harding.
In a press conference Thursday at 4:45 p.m., Akron Fire Department District Chief Sierjie Lash said crews began evacuating residents via Akron Metro RTA buses after a small explosion shortly before 3 p.m. Henderson said there were other explosions throughout the day Thursday, but fewer than the department expected.
“The perfect [storm] happened yesterday with the actual roof falling into the structure. That suppressed a lot of the explosions that we anticipated,” he said.
Regarding the risk of any future explosions, Henderson said it depends on what’s underneath the rubble, adding that if it gets hot in a certain area, it could become susceptible to an explosion.
When asked if SMB Products had any past fire code issues, Henderson said, “We are doing our research and analyzing what that looks like, so we can’t disseminate that information at this time, but when there is a time to disseminate, we’ll let you know.”
There was some confusion Thursday over the name of the business operating out of the building where the fire occurred, with both Koki Laboratories and SMB Products being referenced in news reports and on social media. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said Koki Laboratories previously operated out of the building, but it is now operated by SMB Products.
Any smoke affects air quality, requires caution
At around 9 p.m. Thursday, the Summit County HAZMAT team deployed 20 individuals to the area. The Ohio EPA was also on site Thursday night and remains there today monitoring the air quality, Henderson said.
Reading a statement from the Ohio EPA, Malik said “additional monitoring will continue as long as the fire is burning to ensure the smoke is no different than any other structure fire.”
He continued, “So far, no volatile organic compounds, VOCs, are detected at or above levels of concern in ambient air.”
Because the fire is still active, Henderson encouraged people in the area to take precautions.
“I want to be clear that anytime there is smoke in the air, it impacts air quality,” Henderson said. “It is definitely still smoky today, and I’d encourage folks to limit your exposure to the smoke as much as possible, especially those with underlying conditions.”
Henderson said he spoke to the SMB Products building manager Thursday and all 45 of the employees who were on site are safe.
At this time, Henderson said the city does not know how many individuals were transported to the hospital as a result of the fire, potentially with respiratory issues or injuries. One firefighter was hospitalized Thursday night but is expected to make a full recovery.
When discussing the firefighter’s hospitalization, Henderson mentioned the humidity levels Thursday and the amount of equipment firefighters must carry. When asked if the firefighter was hospitalized for heat exhaustion, Stephanie Marsh, director of communications for the City of Akron, would not confirm, citing privacy concerns.
Evacuees returned home by 9 p.m.
Eufrancia Lash, deputy director of public service for the City of Akron, said just over 100 individuals were evacuated to Firestone Park Community Center and about 78 were sent to Joy Park Community Center. He added that Mason Park Community Center was also set up as a reunification center, but the city did not need to activate it.
At 8 p.m., the EPA deemed it safe for residents to return to their homes. The city utilized Akron Metro RTA buses to transport residents. By 9 p.m., everyone who had evacuated to the two community centers was back home, Lash said.
Lash praised the quick actions of staff at Firestone and Joy Park community centers who assisted residents during the evacuation. “I want you to know your director is very proud of you this morning,” he said.
It was a sentiment echoed by Joseph Natko, assistant to the mayor for emergency management, who cited the effective collaboration between various city departments.
“We practice and prepare for these incidents, hoping that they’ll never come, but if and when they do come, we’re ready for them because of that preparation and expertise of the individuals involved,” Natko said.
