Editor's note:
The evacuation order was lifted by city officials at 8 p.m. after air quality in the area tested within normal limits and the fire was under control.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday afternoon, a three-alarm chemical fire at 1081 Rosemary Blvd. in East Akron was still active, displacing hundreds of area residents caught in the half-mile evacuation radius around the site.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, who spoke at a press conference held at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, was unsure whether residents would need to stay at the three city community centers opened as shelters overnight.
Akron Fire Department District Chief Sierjie Lash said the department was notified of the fire at Koki Laboratories around 1:12 p.m. The call came from someone in the building, but Lash could not confirm if it was an employee who made the call.
Lash said the first unit arrived around 1:14 p.m., and the building employees had already evacuated. No injuries have been reported.
“We heard — after we were on scene, shortly before 3 p.m. — a small explosion,” Lash said. “That’s when we decided to upgrade to a third-alarm fire and evacuate the neighborhood.”
The primary concern is an explosion, Lash said. The company reported storing methanol, propane and xylene on site. Lash said residents outside the half-mile radius evacuation area do not need to worry about air quality or chemical concerns at this time, unless they have underlying health issues.
If residents who live near the fire need assistance leaving the evacuation area, they should call 911. Mayor Shammas Malik said at this time, there aren’t plans to expand the evacuation zone, but if that changes the city will update residents.
Sgt. Mike Murphy of the Akron Police Department said, “We have a perimeter set up around South Arlington Street, East Waterloo Road, Kelly Avenue and Triplett [Boulevard]” to ensure safety in the area.
Malik said the city has three reunification centers open to residents affected by the fire. While Firestone Park Community Center is already full, Joy Park Community Center and Mason Park Community Center are open to residents. The Red Cross is on site at Firestone Park and will soon be at the other two community centers, Malik said.
“All the citizens in Ward 5, and in that particular area, are very grateful that no one has been injured so far, and that no one has been taken to the hospital,” said Ward 5 Council Member Johnnie Hannah.
