Big Fire In Richmond

Officials urged people to evacuate…near a large industrial fire in Richmond, near the Ohio border…that sent massive clouds of black smoke into the sky…all this, at a former factory site…that lately had been used to store plastics and other materials for recycling or resale, officials say. There were no reports of injuries. But hundreds of people living within a half-mile of the fire were told to leave. People outside that radius who live downwind of the fire were advised to keep windows closed and pets inside. Wind from the west blew black smoke across the state border into Ohio. The Bethesda Worship Center in Richmond offered temporary shelter for people forced out of their homes, while other agencies were trying to arrange hotel rooms if necessary. State and federal regulators are at the scene to assess air quality and other environmental impacts.