PLAINFIELD, Ind. – A massive fire continues to burn Thursday afternoon at the Walmart distribution center in Plainfield.
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon, sending a plume of black smoke into the air visible for miles around. The fire also dumped debris and ash on the surrounding areas.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far about the fire.
Where and when did this happen?
The fire started around 12 p.m. Wednesday at the Walmart fulfillment center located at 9590 Allpoints Parkway. Smoke from the large fire was visible several miles away. Neighboring facilities were evacuated as a precaution and residents were asked to shelter in place.
The warehouse covers approximately 1.2 million square feet. Smoke even appeared on the weather radars!
How did it start?
We won’t know the cause of the fire for days, if not weeks. Investigators have not yet had a chance to get inside the facility due to ongoing efforts to extinguish any hot spots that continue to flare up.
Building access remains their biggest challenge, according to Plainfield Fire Chief Brent Anderson.
“At the moment it’s just the access in the building – the uncertainty of the building,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of work as we try to clear some of the obstacles that stand in our way.”
Anderson said it appears the fire was first spotted on the third floor of the warehouse, but the investigation will determine more details about its origin and cause.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the cause of the fire and told FOX59 Thursday afternoon that additional resources are on the way.
What was inside the distribution center?
The warehouse contained a variety of items ready for distribution, including clothing, food, electronics, and numerous shipping materials.
“If you can think of it, it’s probably in there,” Anderson said of the installation and its contents.
How big was the firefighting effort?
At the height of the fire, nearly 200 firefighters intervened to put it out.
Firefighters encountered fierce fire and thick smoke with zero visibility. Crews fought the blaze for about 30 minutes inside the warehouse before moving into a defensive operation.
“Each of these departments that responded came with the same goal in mind to help Plainfield and try to get this fire under control,” said Capt. Eric Banister, public information officer for the township fire department. of Wayne.
To be specific, at least 24 agencies responded to assist the Plainfield Fire Department in its efforts and for many firefighters we spoke with, this was the largest fire they remember responding to in their careers. .
“It’s the biggest fire of my career. It’s the biggest fire that I can remember in my career in central Indiana,” Anderson said.
“Over a million square feet under one roof, it’s probably the biggest I can remember in over 20 years,” Banister said.
Wayne Township firefighters responded to assist with the mutual aid efforts called to the scene.
“I think he finally hit five alarms, which is very rare, you don’t see that often,” Banister said.
Jerry Bessler, A-Shift Battalion Chief and public information officer for the Washington Avon Township Fire Department, said it was also the largest fire he can remember responding to. .
“A lot of people will say this is a once in a lifetime fire, a career fire. I hope that is the case. I would never want to see this type of mass destruction again,” Bessler said.
Although crews train in their respective ways and often conduct joint training with agencies in their county and across county lines, fire officials said it was difficult to coordinate training with so many people. agencies that we saw on the scene.
“It’s hard to do a training of this magnitude, like getting so many agencies together just as a training,” Banister said. “Individually, it is up to each department to prepare the responses of the tertiary buildings.
However, luckily, by the time the call went out, the Plainfield Fire Department and Avon Washington Township Fire Departments were training nearby for this type of response and were on the scene. in about three minutes.
“We had crews just down the street doing training and they were actually training on building construction for warehouses and what we can expect for the fire load,” said Anderson.
Bessler, who was part of the morning practice, said there were things they touched on that came into play when they arrived on the scene Wednesday.
“Part of the training we learned is how it’s built,” Bessler said. “They say it’s like a card game or almost like a domino effect. When things start happening, it happens really, really quickly.
One of the things Bessler said he looked at during the training, which was coordinated by John Shafer, division chief of fire training for the Washington Avon Township Fire Department, was what happens when the walls of a structure like this begin to grow.
“Once that push happens, that 12-ton concrete slab will get somewhere,” Bessler said.
“You are always taught, especially in this training, that the largest trailer that will enter these places is 50 feet. So if I have a 53 foot trailer I have to keep my rigs at least 60 feet away from a structure because when those slabs fall it’s not like a house or bricks falling and falling straight. These things come in one solid 12-ton piece,” Bessler explained.
They even learned that where you place the device is vital, Bessler said. He mentioned that if you look at the corners of the building, you will see that they are still standing, while everything else around them has collapsed.
During Wednesday’s response, Bessler was responsible for the staging fixture and said there was a time when they had to reset where the rigs were parked to make sure they were completely out of the collapse zone.
They are still putting water on the hot spots which could last several days. Crews rotate every few hours, Anderson said.
“It’s one of those fires that you hope never happens, but like we all do, you prepare and train for the worst,” Shafer said.
Responding to the scene, those we spoke to said it was not about asking what to do, but rather anticipating and preparing for what is expected of them when they arrive on places. They credited how agencies across the county and beyond train together and communicate to prepare for mutual aid responses.
“It’s like putting the pieces of the puzzle together, we’re trying to put the device in the most advantageous place to try to control the fire or prevent the fire from spreading,” Banister said. “It was a very difficult situation. There’s a lot more fire than there’s water often in these situations, but staying in there, trying all the tactics we can throw at it, and then keeping ourselves safe while aggressively trying to control the fire – I’m very proud of everyone who made the effort there.
Has anyone been hurt?
According to Anderson and Walmart officials, about 1,000 warehouse workers were inside the building when the fire broke out. All were able to escape and are found.
Services responding to the scene credited the quick actions and preparedness of Walmart employees and management for getting everyone to safety.
“I think this universally shows how well prepared Walmart and many of our businesses are,” Banister said. “I give a lot of credit to Walmart and a lot of our employees, the companies we deal with. They take the safety of their employees very seriously.
“We just want to make sure that they know they did the right thing, that they got out of the building, and that building can be replaced, most likely will be, but they can’t,” he said. added Banister.
Two firefighters were briefly missing after crews retreated from inside the warehouse. They were located after “a few tense minutes,” according to Anderson.
What happened to the employees?
Plainfield school buses ferried the workers to a reunification site on Smith Road. Many employees forgot their phones during the evacuation and were unable to contact loved ones.
A Walmart spokesperson said all affected workers will be paid for 40 hours this week, plus any overtime, as the facility remains closed. The company said it would help with accommodation and transportation for employees who needed it.
“I have nothing now. Mostly my phone, everything is on my phone. I can’t do anything,” employee Biri Welbemaram said.
Some employees came back to pick up their vehicles today. The company said it was confident it would be able to place all of its employees in other stores and facilities.
However, some employees still wonder if there will be a job for them.
“I want to know more about the future if they’re going to rebuild,” Angela Beverly said.
Many workers will get temporary reassignments. The company said the “resilience” of the supply chain should help carry the load following the fire.
And all the debris?
One of the unique impacts of the fire was the amount of ash and debris that rained down on the surrounding areas. Our press teams and viewers took pictures of debris in the streets and in the courtyards.
Officials have urged residents to avoid touching the debris as it could be toxic. They said it was best to err on the side of caution.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency were called in to analyze the debris and assess air quality.
Thursday was declared a Knozone Day of Action due to lingering smoke from the fire.
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