PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Fire crews report progress on battling the blaze at the Peoples Cartage Warehouse in Wood County.
According to Incident Commander Ron Utt, chief of the Eastwood Volunteer Fire Department, there is no visible fire left on the site today (Tuesday). However, thermal imaging showed hot spots which need to be uncovered and doused.
“We’re currently separating the steel from the product,” Utt said.
Crews finished what Utt called phase one of the job late Monday to tear apart boxes of the product and douse them with water. The next move was to get all of the steel off the concrete pad and expose what, if any fire, is left.
“Put the steel in a different place so it can be salvaged, reclaimed, decontaminated or whatever needs to be done with it. Then make sure all the products left on the pad is out and we can turn it over for cleanup,” Utt said.
Wood County authorities lifted a precautionary shelter in place Tuesday afternoon after air quality levels improved. The advisory was for a half-mile radius of the fire.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection sent out an update Tuesday evening regarding their continued efforts of air monitoring.
The release said, air quality monitoring conducted by both the DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has indicated that smoke-related particulate matter levels are below EPA’s action level, and no other elevated readings have been detected for any other monitored parameters.
They said the DEP continues sampling the Little Kanawha River and said that preliminary laboratory testing has not identified any results exceeding applicable water quality standards. Additional sampling and analysis are underway.
The smoke which was billowing from the fire in the first couple of days is now largely gone. The only thing rising from the ashes and twisted metal is steam where the water is hitting the red hot metal in the debris.
“We’ve got steam, but as far as visible black or white smoke, it’s pretty much gone,” Utt said.
That will be good news for environmental inspectors who have been monitoring air quality in the last couple of days.
The investigation into the fire continues. The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’ s Office remains on the scene searching for a cause.
People’s Cartage issued an updated statement when contacted by MetroNews:
On Saturday, July 4, a fire occurred at Peoples Cartage’s Camden Avenue warehouse campus in
Parkersburg, West Virginia. The fire was quickly contained and extinguished by our fire suppression
systems and the local fire department. A stringent fire watch was maintained throughout the day
and overnight. Unfortunately, early Sunday, July 5, the fire reignited, resulting in significant damage,
the full extent of which has not yet been assessed.
We are extremely grateful that no injuries have been sustained by any employees or other
individuals on site. Peoples Cartage is cooperating fully with emergency responders and
government agencies, supporting containment efforts, and assessing the damage. The site of the
fire remains an active scene and the area has been secured. Environmental and safety officials are
on-site to safeguard the health and safety of emergency responders and the community at large.
The safety of our employees, customers, neighbors, community and the public remains our highest
priority.
Peoples Cartage is deeply appreciative of the Wood County Fire Department, the surrounding area
emergency responders, and all the authorities who have worked tirelessly to manage this situation.
We are supporting them in every way possible. We are also truly moved by the overwhelming
generosity of the community – the donations of food and water for the firefighters on scene have
been a powerful reminder of what makes the Parkersburg community special.
Given that this remains an active scene, internal and external assessments of possible causes have
yet to be conducted. We are committed to fully cooperating with the relevant authorities, and we
will provide additional updates as new information becomes available