Huge fire at US recycling plant prompts evacuations, injures 4 firefighters

A fire at a US recycling plant has destroyed the facility, injuring four firefighters and prompting evacuation of 100 homes near the major city of Indianapolis in the country’s mid-west region.

The Saturday fire took eight hours to control as more than two-dozen 30-gallon propane tanks continually exploded, sending up a pungent cloud that could be observed over the city from miles away, local authorities said as cited in Sunday press reports.

The injuries incurred by the firefighter, however, were reportedly not serious, and the evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Fire Department announced in a Sunday statement that the fire was expected to continue smoldering for “several days,” as the department was experiencing difficulty extinguishing an 85,000-square-foot collection area for tires that had caught fire.

The fire reportedly began early Saturday afternoon at the plant just southwest of Indianapolis’ downtown. Firefighters said they averted a huge explosion from a 500-gallon propane tank inside the building by keeping it hosed with water as the fire burned.

This is while buildings and dumpsters in the vicinity momentarily caught fire as strong winds blew the embers from the blaze to the surrounding area.

The industrial area, according to local officials, was not adequately covered by fire hydrants.

The cause of the huge blaze has not yet been determined by authorities.

In November, a home explosion in Indianapolis destroyed more than 30 homes and killed two people in what authorities described as an attempted insurance fraud.