The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, said on Friday that the air quality level is at an acceptable level for most residents after a massive, hours-long fire at a recycling facility prompted public health and environmental concerns.
As of Friday night, an assessment based on the federally run Air Quality Index ranked the local air level as “moderate,” the Unified Government said in a statement. While the latest reading means the air quality should be OK for most, the government says those “unusually sensitive to particle pollution” should consider spending less time outside.
The news comes as the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department brought the blaze at Advantage Metals under control by Friday evening after the industrial fire raged for 12 hours, sending pillars of smoke into the air. Firefighters and fire suppression equipment were clearing away from the area on Friday night, though officials say firefighters will continue to monitor the situation to ensure there are no flare-ups.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency had also completed its work, removing air monitoring systems hours after elevated readings tapered off, the Unified Government said.
The fire at Advantage Metals, an outdoor recycling facility on the southern edge of the city near the Kansas River, began around 5:30 a.m. The blaze proved to be a challenge for firefighters in part because of a lack of hydrants in the immediate area.
Seven pumper trucks and three fire crews were summoned to the site. Johnson County also provided a 500-gallon foam truck to assist.
No one was seriously hurt. One firefighter was taken to the hospital with a minor eye injury, authorities said.
Earlier Friday, area environmentalists were concerned about the possibility of a public health hazard as air monitors in Kansas City, Kansas, showed elevated levels of potentially harmful pollutants known as particulate matter.
The environmental justice organization CleanAirNow, which has installed 20 monitors across the metro, had one reading in the Armourdale neighborhood showing 174 on a 300 scale around 10:30 a.m. The previous weekly average for that site was 47.
Meanwhile, the Unified Government said there were no immediate signs of a “significant air quality threat.” Local officials said they were monitoring the situation and had advised area residents to stay inside as a precaution.
In an earlier statement Friday, Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Tyrone Garner said local and federal authorities were working together to actively assess and monitor the situation “and any potential hazards.”
“I want to make sure everyone is safe and that we all are adhering to any guidance given from our public health and fire safety authorities,” Garner said.
The Star’s Katie Moore and Matti Gellman contributed to this report.
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