A chemical release at a Toledo industrial facility prompted mandatory evacuation orders for nearby residents late Tuesday night, while thick fog and haze complicated visibility across the Ohio city.
Evacuations and Shelter Orders Imposed in Toledo
The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department ordered people within a 1-mile radius of the hazardous materials release to evacuate at about 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. City officials also issued a shelter-in-place order for residents living within a 3-mile radius beyond the immediate evacuation zone. Dense fog and haze hindered visibility in the city of approximately 265,000 people, and local news stations reported smelling a plastic-like odor in the air.
The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department stated early Wednesday that the release remained ongoing and that emergency crews continued to monitor the situation. Officials did not immediately name the chemical involved in the leak, but the fire department detailed that overexposure symptoms include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting.
Emergency Responders Advise Public Safety and Close Schools
Emergency responders urged the public not to judge the air quality by sight alone. “You can’t tell fog from the release by looking, so please don’t rely on how the air looks,” the fire department stated in an online release. Officials advised anyone outside the affected zones who detected an unusual odor to stay indoors, close all windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems that pull in outside air. Anyone experiencing a suspected reaction was advised to contact a medical professional.
The hazardous materials incident disrupted local education schedules, forcing some Toledo schools to close for the day while others delayed their opening times. To assist displaced individuals, authorities opened one elementary school as a temporary shelter and stationed municipal buses to provide additional shelter as needed.
More on Toledo
Keep reading