Crews continue to fight major Indiana scrap plastics fire

By ARLEIGH RODGERS and MICHAEL CONROY
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) — Schools in an Indiana city are closed for a second day while crews pour water and dig for hot spots at a major industrial fire fueled by tons of scrap plastics. The smoke in Richmond was not as dark or dense as earlier in the week, but an evacuation order for people within a half-mile was still in effect. Federal regulators say they’re waiting for test results to determine if any fire debris contained asbestos, which can harm lungs. At least 1,500 people live in the evacuation zone, though it’s not known how many obeyed the call. The fire started Tuesday at a former factory site that was used to store plastics for resale.