City of Akron Provides Update to Rosemary Blvd. Fire

Akron, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024 - The fire at 1081 Rosemary Blvd. has been fully extinguished and the smoke has largely dissipated. Air monitoring conducted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has continued since the incident and has been within normal levels through the entirety of the testing. Air monitoring at the site perimeter and work areas has now begun. Air canister samples have been collected by the Ohio EPA and will be submitted for laboratory analysis to confirm the field data. The work is being conducted by an environmental consultant hired by the facility representatives. No unsafe levels of airborne contaminants have been detected.

The Akron firefighter who had been transported to the hospital on Thursday, Sept. 5 has now been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Ohio EPA has confirmed that fire suppression materials ran off into a creek adjacent to the site. Contractors are utilizing high volume pumps to augment the natural breakdown of the product by removing contaminated water. Primary contaminants in the creek are alcohol-based materials: Ethanol and Methanol. The creek runs into Long Lake (3 miles away), which is not a drinking water source.

Multiple treatment areas remain in operation. Field monitoring of the treatment has shown water quality beyond the last treatment location to be within acceptable water quality limits. The work is expected to continue through the weekend. Ohio EPA is providing oversight. Water quality samples are being collected daily in the creek and the Tuscarawas River and being submitted for laboratory analysis. The results will be used to confirm the field data. Working in cooperation with the Ohio EPA, a temporary storm water bypass system has been setup near the site to divert impacted storm water runoff into the sanitary sewer rather than cause additional impact to the creek.

"I want to again thank our safety forces and the Ohio EPA for their round the clock attention and care to this matter since Thursday afternoon. I'm grateful that our injured firefighter is now home and recovering," said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik. "Now that the fire has been extinguished, the Akron Fire Department can begin their investigation into the fire and the EPA can conduct the necessary analysis on the site. All tests are coming back in safe ranges for air and water quality and will continue to be monitored. We remain committed to providing updates as more information becomes available."