Residents are now allowed to return to their homes in a Mishawaka area near Industrial Dr. that was evacuated Friday night. The Mishawaka Fire Department said the "all clear" was given around 7 a.m. Saturday and people were allowed to return home.
A Red Cross shelter had been set up at the Mishawaka Catholic School, St. Joseph Campus on Third Street for those who needed a place to stay overnight. As of 8 a.m. Saturday most people had left the shelter. About 35 people did spend the night at the shelter.
It all began with a rubbish fire inside the door of the former Baycote Metal Finishing factory. When Firefighters arrived on scene they quickly put out the fire but then noticed a vapor cloud from chemicals. They then started evacuating a few hundred people in the area.
The former BayCote Metal Finishing Factory was taken over by the EPA recently for a clean up process. The Mishawaka Fire Chief said there were several chemicals in the vapor cloud. At 11 p.m. Friday he said the vapor cloud had dissipated, however, the EPA was on scene testing the air and did not like the results of those tests. Around midnight it was announced to people in the shelter that they would not be allowed to return home that night.
Two people did go to the hospital from the chemical leak. They were reporting irritation to their eyes, nose, and throat. The air did have a sulphur like smell to it. Rod and Cindy Abbott posted on the FOX28 Facebook page that the Kroger on Merrifield closed at 8:35pm. "We were told to bring our items to checkout immediately, then while driving north on Merrifield the odor was VERY strong, but lessened after we crossed the tracks. The firefighters were eager to get us out of the area," they wrote.
