Authorities in Akron say an evacuation order has been lifted for the area around 240 West Emerling Ave. following an explosion at Emerald Performance Materials.
Officials tell WKYC the building involved is about 70 feet tall and has multiple chemicals on site. The area within a half-mile radius was evacuated and Main St. was closed in all directions between Cole and Archwood Aves.
Around 5:30 p.m., the all-clear was issued, and all who were within the zone were allowed to safely return. The city says no major injuries were reported.
The plant released the following statement:
"At approximately 1:00 PM today, July 18, there was an explosion and fire of as of yet undetermined origin at the Emerald CVC facility in Akron, Ohio. We immediately activated our response protocols, evacuated the plant, notified the fire department, and notified regulatory bodies. First responders are on the scene investigating. All of our employees have been accounted for and there have been no reported injuries to our personnel. Our site leaders are working with first responders to assess the situation. Additional information will be available through the fire department as it becomes available."
A witness later described the scene to WKYC's Amani Abraham, saying the air was making him feel "light-headed."
Just after 10:00 p.m., Emerald Performance Materials added the following to their earlier statement:
Emerald’s Akron plant wishes to thank all of Akron's first responders who brought to a safe conclusion the explosion and fire at our facility earlier today. We have worked closely with the Akron Fire Department over the years on training and various safety protocols and have a strong partnership. Thanks, in part, to the Department's knowledge of our plant and evacuation plans, we were able to work together to quickly and safely evacuate the plant.
We also want to thank all those affected by the evacuation for their cooperation during this challenging situation. Akron Fire’s Hazmat team conducted air sampling and confirmed that no hazardous atmosphere was detected. Three employees, nonetheless, were evaluated at the hospital and were released without injury.
All regularly scheduled employees have been asked to report to work tomorrow. The unaffected areas of the plant will be inspected and are expected to return to operations soon. The portion of the plant where the incident happened will remain shut down until we complete a comprehensive assessment of the incident in conjunction with various government agencies to determine the cause.
Emerald’s Akron plant apologizes to all who may have been inconvenienced as a result of the incident, the evacuation and the road closures. We take seriously our responsibility to our community and strive to be good neighbors.