COLUMBUS, Ohio — People were evacuated from their homes for several hours Thursday morning when a lithium-ion battery fire inside a semitruck in west Columbus prompted a hazmat response.
Crews with the Columbus Division of Police and Columbus Division of Fire arrived at the 1600 block of McKinley Avenue at 5:20 a.m. after receiving a report of smoke coming from a trailer of a semi. A spokesperson with the fire department said there was pressure in the trailer and it was full of lithium-ion batteries. The truck was carrying 5,900 pounds of batteries.
An evacuation was ordered out of concern that the batteries could burn very rapidly and explode. Police evacuated buildings and homes within a mile radius of the incident, including a COTA substation.
Officers went door-to-door to alert residents about the evacuation, and a shelter was set up at the Dodge Community Center.
Responders used a robot from the fire department's bomb squad to open the trailer doors, releasing pressure. Oxygen got inside the trailer, igniting the fire and causing black smoke to briefly fill the sky. The fire was put out in the afternoon.
No injuries were reported.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Columbus fire will monitor air quality levels for potential hazards. Columbus fire will also have a fire engine stay at the scene to monitor the situation until Friday. After that, clean up will begin.
Police also shut down several roads while crews responded to the hazmat situation, but have since reopened. McKinley Avenue between North Central and Grandview avenues is still closed.
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