COLUMBUS, Ohio — Crews with the Columbus Division of Fire have been battling a scrapyard fire for more than 12 hours on the city's southeast side. The fire started early Friday morning.
As those first responders kept their eyes on the burning pile of debris, the Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said their own crews were on the ground keeping their eyes on the sky. It's all in an effort to monitor air quality.
"We're looking for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and we're looking for anything our monitoring meters can pick up. And first and foremost, the fire department is also looking for this to make sure our workers are safe. To make sure our first responders are safe," she said.
As of 2 p.m., Vogel said they haven't found any of those compounds.
"What you see in that big plume is just stuff burning. What you're feeling or hearing or seeing or smelling. Or what might be affecting your throat or eyes right now is really just smoke from like a backyard fire," she said.
Fire crews are expected to fight this fire into the weekend. And that means the smoke could stick around too. If it's bothering you, Vogel says you should avoid it as best you can.
If you want to monitor the air quality as this fire continues to burn, Vogel said AirNow was your best resource.
"AirNow is the best source anytime. Wildfires like what is happening, AirNow is a great resource," she said.