VIDEO: Crews letting fire burn in Butler County to avert ‘environmental disaster,’ chief says

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (FOX19) - Fire crews with the Morgan Township Fire Department are continuing to monitor a fire at a tire dealer in Butler County, which reportedly caught fire shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire is at Wholesale Tire Mart in the 4900 block of Alert New London Road in the community of Shandon, which is located just off Cincinnati-Brookville Road in southwest Butler County.

The Butler County Incident Management Team says people should avoid the area, however, Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Griffith said there is no threat to any of the residents.

“We’re monitoring air quality, but as long as it continues to move upward, we’re confident the air quality will be OK,” he said.

Firefighters from numerous other fire departments, including some from Indiana, are reportedly at the scene alongside Morgan Township fire crews.

No injuries have been reported.

The fire had been under control around 8 p.m., officials said, but it reignited sometime before 9 p.m. and crews have reportedly decided to let the building burn.

Crews say letting the fire burn is safer because water could be dangerous to hundreds of chemicals present in the building.

Wednesday morning, Griffith said they are hoping to start putting foam on the fire.

“We’re working to get heavy equipment to remove the roof to get foam inside,” he said.

Their biggest concern at this point is the environment because they don’t want any chemicals leaking into a nearby creek.

“The more water we put in there, in this building, we are causing an environmental disaster by having this runoff go into the creeks surrounding it and the Little Miami River,” Morgan Township Fire Chief Jeff Galloway said.

Galloway adds the fire could burn for several more days and cleanup will follow.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

Galloway said the building has been around since the 1970′s and because of the materials inside, they visit the warehouse once a year so they are prepared and know what to do if a fire is to break out.

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