According to local media and press releases from Metal X in Delta, Ohio the large facility fire burned for over 24 hours before firefighters contained it.
Fifty-three local fire departments brought over 165 personnel to the remote town of Delta, Ohio to battle the blaze. In addition to fire departments from across the area, private agencies also assisted.
Crews worked together to pull apart scrap metal and piles of debris to help control the spread. Because of the intense and sustained burn, firefighters had to bring in water from various sources including local reservoirs. While there were a few minor injuries due to the fire, no one suffered heat exhaustion or was significantly injured.
The damage mostly consisted of scrap metal loss. Luckily the large Metal X crane, valued at over a million dollars, was saved due to significant efforts during the ongoing fire.
Despite the losses, the local fire chief feels the containment was a success.They learned some valuable lessons about the difficulty of handling facility fires, and have subsequently made plans to work with Metal X in the future for preparedness strategies in the event of another fire.
Ongoing monitoring of the area, including air and water samples, will continue and an investigation is under way. No foul play is suspected as causation currently.