Meanwhile, those charged with monitoring local air quality day to day say they have not seen elevated or dangerous air pollution levels in the fire’s aftermath, at least not yet.
The city of Moraine said Tuesday afternoon that EPA readings show air quality in the vicinity of Fuyao is “well into the ‘good’” range.
“First responders from Moraine and area fire departments are on-site and still working the scene,” the city said in a release.
Firefighters remained at Fuyao’s complex off Stroop Road and Kettering Boulevard early Tuesday, some 36 hours after a fire tore across the roof of a newly built structure at Fuyao’s Moraine manufacturing plant Sunday night and Monday.
Moraine police and fire dispatchers confirmed a ladder crew continued to work at the scene Tuesday morning.
Dan Suffoletto, a spokesman for Montgomery County Public Health, said there is an air monitoring station in downtown Dayton.
“As of yesterday, we weren’t seeing anything really on it because of wind direction,” Suffoletto said Tuesday morning. “If the wind shifts, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an elevated PM (particulate matter) level.”
The wind in the Dayton area was blowing from the southeast at a speed of 9 miles per hour Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Wilmington office.
A senior manager at the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency in Dayton declined to comment, referring questions to Suffoletto and the Ohio EPA.
Suffoletto said RAPCA was not seeing elevated PM levels as of about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The RAPCA website gave an air quality index level reading of 32 Tuesday morning, a number deemed to be “good.”
Stationary monitoring samples were collected Tuesday morning and taken to a lab for analysis, said David Shark, a spokesman for the U.S. EPA.
“Currently, air monitoring results around the fire site show particulates and VOCs within acceptable levels,” Shark said.
Smoke can be very problematic, especially for those with asthma and breathing problems. Smoke is a mix of chemical gases and water vapor, and particulate matter is made up of tiny solid and liquid particles that can be inhaled, with adverse consequences.
“Smoke from a fire can cause (adverse) health effects,” Suffoletto said.
On Monday afternoon, Fuyao Community Relations Manager Lei Shi said the company’s production of automotive safety glass was temporarily halted, but expected to resume soon, at least in the part of the manufacturing complex unaffected by the fire.
“Production at the impacted building is suspended to allow for comprehensive safety inspections and coordination with fire officials to address any remaining hazards,” Shi said. “Fire service officials have authorized the restoration of power to our other, unaffected building and, with all safety and production requirements met, we will resume regular operations in that other facility soon.”
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