ELWOOD — Cars and trucks swarmed D Street near the intersection with Ninth Street, and residents lined the sidewalks and stood on their vehicles to get a look at the flames billowing from the closed State Plating building Friday night.
Crews from multiple fire departments in Elwood and around Madison County were on the scene attempting to extinguish the fire. Flashing lights from numerous tankers swarming the area lit the sky.
The blaze engulfed the building, with flames shooting as high as 50 feet into the chilly night air.
Police radio transmissions indicated a nearby house caught fire at 8:45 p.m. as a result of the inferno.
Explosions could be seen from nearby roads and chemical-like smells from smoke could be detected as far as 2 miles away.
The Elwood Fire Department received a call at 6:15 p.m. from a neighbor who saw smoke, Elwood public information officer Jeff Howe said.
The fire had reportedly been brought under control at 9 p.m.
The hazardous materials team that had been called to the scene declared the area clear of hazardous and dangerous materials after performing air sampling tests, Madison County Emergency Management Agency officer Todd Harmeson said.
“There’s no environmental danger and there is no concern with the surrounding areas,” Harmeson said. “We’ll be here around the night, but we’ve got it under control.”
Officials from the Madison County Emergency Management Agency were also on the scene, along with crews from the Tipton and Frankton fire departments. A three-block area from Ninth Street to Main Street was blocked off to accommodate numerous fire tankers and other emergency vehicles that were called to the scene.
State Plating closed in 2008. The company used to bring in metal products and plate them with nickel, nickel chrome and dual nickel chrome finishes.
It is unclear whether any caustic materials were still in the building, possibly feeding the flames and causing the explosions, Howe said.
The cause of the fire is also under investigation, Howe said.
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