GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) - A magnesium fire at a metals recycling plant diminished to pockets of flames and smoke Tuesday, a day after towering, white-hot flames engulfed the complex and explosions shot sparks into the sky.
Since magnesium can explode after it touches water, the only choice was to let the fire burn out, which could take until Tuesday evening, Fire Chief Tony Collova said. Smaller magnesium fires are often put out with sand.
The fire that began Monday afternoon at Garfield Alloys in an industrial park 10 miles southeast of Cleveland destroyed two of the company's three buildings and a neighboring heating company, Fire Chief Tony Collova said.
Firefighters did spray water around the perimeter of the flames Monday and managed to keep them from spreading to most other businesses, high-tension power lines and railroad tracks, Collova said.
White sparks from explosions continued overnight as the flames lit plumes of thick, gray smoke from below. Rain hampered firefighting efforts.
``It is one of the most difficult things to deal with,'' Collova said.
About 30 to 40 people living within a quarter-mile of the plant were evacuated authorities said. Some spent the night in a fire station, which became an impromptu shelter.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined the company thousands of dollars since 1980 for 30 safety violations, The Plain Dealer reported Tuesday. In 1991, a magnesium fire and explosion killed one worker, according to agency records.
``I blame the city a little bit,'' said Milt Schuttenberg, one of the residents forced to leave his apartment. ``They should've been monitoring this company more. This isn't the first time''
Kara Allison, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman, said air samples were sent Tuesday to a lab to test for magnesium oxide, which can cause breathing difficulty for people with respiratory problems. Results were expected late Tuesday or Wednesday.
No homes on hills surrounding the industrial valley were threatened, but blasts shattered windows at an apartment complex 2,000 feet away.
Two firefighters were treated at a hospital for rapid heartbeats. Plant employees escaped safely, Collova said.
``Look at that, it looks like the Fourth of July,'' said Daryl Streety, 40, one of the hundreds of residents who watched from a hillside overlooking the plant before the evacuation.
``It's a little frightening, a little intimidating,'' said Mike Tycast, 44.
Some spectators questioned why there weren't more precautions in place after a 2001 fire at the plant, when a 55-gallon drum of magnesium caught fire. Firefighters were able to contain that blaze with sand, and there were no major injuries. Collova said he knew of no fines against the company for that fire.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the local sewer district were sampling air and water, spokeswoman Kara Allison said. The federal EPA also was sending a team.
In its metal form, magnesium is often used with aluminum to make beverage cans. It also is used to make parts for automobiles and machines. Magnesium compound is used to line furnaces used to produce steel.
Related Article:
Fire Breaks Out At Cleveland, Ohio Magnesium Recycling Plant
Fire At Ohio Magnesium Recycling Plant
- Video: Explosions rocked nearby businesses
- Photos: View of the explosion
