By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A fire at East Jordan Plastics in South Haven, Michigan, burned for roughly 14 hours after being reported at 3:48 p.m. Sept. 25, with firefighters remaining on scene until 6:30 a.m. the following day.
- South Haven Area Emergency Services and 16 mutual aid departments used an estimated 2 million gallons of water; the fire was contained after four hours, and the main building was saved.
- Hazards included exploding 20-pound propane tanks and a ruptured 1,000-gallon tank; officials cut power to the area as a safety precaution amid burning utility poles, causing a temporary citywide outage.
- The EPA monitored air quality through Saturday evening, recording one overnight exceedance of volatile organic compounds that did not persist; no elevated readings were found by Saturday evening, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is overseeing remaining cleanup.
- No injuries were reported among firefighters or facility workers, who are expected to return to the site this week; the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. — South Haven Fire Chief Brandon Hinz said a 14-hour fire at East Jordan Plastics last week was the longest he has fought in nearly 30 years of service, requiring mutual aid from 16 neighboring departments to keep the blaze from consuming the building entirely.
The fire, at the plastics factory on Stieve Drive, was first reported at 3:48 p.m. Sept. 25 and wasn’t fully cleared until 6:30 a.m. the next day. Crews used an estimated 2 million gallons of water and contained the fire within four hours. “This one tapped as many resources as we’ve ever had,” Hinz said.
The greatest initial hazards were exploding 20-pound propane tanks on the building’s west side and a 1,000-gallon tank that ruptured during the fire. “We accomplished the major goal, which was to stop the building from getting involved,” Hinz said. The facility was safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported among firefighters or workers. Officials cut power to the area after high-tension lines and utility poles near the fire ignited, resulting in a citywide outage that was resolved by about 10:30 p.m.
Hinz said a rare east wind helped keep smoke away from nearby homes, some within 200 feet of the property, and an electrical substation about 300 feet away. “That was kind of a best-case scenario,” Hinz said, noting that stronger or differently oriented winds could have forced a mass evacuation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitored air quality around the site and in the downwind neighborhood until Saturday evening, detecting elevated particulate matter and one overnight exceedance of volatile organic compounds that did not persist; later readings showed no elevated levels. The agency has since turned oversight of remaining cleanup to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Firefighters covered manholes and contained runoff water during suppression efforts, and East Jordan Plastics placed a floating boom in a nearby creek to catch displaced plastic pellets; the company will store collected runoff water in tanks pending a state determination on its handling.
Hinz said the department is now debriefing, taking stock of supplies and thanking assisting agencies. Among early lessons: several apparatus began running low on fuel during the extended operation, a gap addressed on scene when a local construction company delivered fuel using a pickup truck and transfer tank. “That was pretty clutch because we were getting low and we couldn’t get ahold of anybody,” Hinz said.
Facility workers are expected to return to the site this week. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
