EPA and local agencies respond to fire at East Jordan Plastics in South Haven

Fire at East Jordan Plastics in South Haven began at about 3:45 p.m. Friday, grew to five alarms, and was fully contained by 6 a.m. Saturday. Roughly two million gallons of water were used to extinguish the blaze, and firefighters cleared the scene before dawn, with removal of debris already underway.

The fire department shut off a nearby electrical plant, cutting power to the city for hours Friday evening. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, and the EPA and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy set up monitoring stations on Saturday to assess air and water impacts. Initial readings detected elevated PM2.5 levels and one VOC exceedance overnight, with the fire declared out by 1 p.m. Saturday.

Responding agencies included SHAES, Bangor, Columbia, Covert, Bloomingdale, Lawrence, Sister Lake, Keeler, Fennville, Saugatuck, Watervliet, Lee, and Ganges. The South Haven High School football game was rescheduled to Saturday at Watervliet High School, beginning at noon, as a result of the fire.

Read the full story at wwmt.com.