The Columbus Division of Fire has contained a fire that broke out at a Columbus auto shredding facility, but is cautioning people to avoid the area due to potential smoke inhalation from the fire.
A Columbus police dispatcher said fire crews responded at 12:21 p.m. on Oct. 28 to a fire at Columbus Auto Shredding at 2181 Alum Creek Dr. on the city’s Southeast Side. Police officers arrived at 12:41 p.m. to secure and shutter roadways in the area.
Columbus Division of Fire Lt. Nick Davis said that the fire was contained by around 1:50 p.m. Davis said that material at the plant is still burning and emitting smoke and will continue to do so for the next few hours.
No injuries were reported, Davis said. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office reported that Alum Creek Drive is shut down between Frebis Avenue and Refugee Road and encouraged motorists to find an alternative route while firefighters continue to manage the blaze. The Refugee Road exit ramp along with surrounding areas are also closed, according to Columbus police.
Davis said that scrap metal from the facility somehow ignited and sparked a fire. Firefighters arrived on scene and had some problems with privately-owned fire hydrants that were out of service. Davis said firefighters were eventually able to find a hydrant owned by the city to pull water from to fight the fire.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus Public Health, and the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency have been notified and are in the loop, Davis said. He advised people to avoid the area of the scrapyard due to the smoke. However, he also said that chemical readings don’t indicate that there are serious air contaminants which would require evacuation of the area.
In September, a fire at the same scrapyard was reported but quickly put out by firefighters, according to Columbus Division of Fire spokesperson Jeffrey Geitter.
Another fire at the auto shredder burned for days in September 2024. A 40-50 foot pile of recyclable material threatened two buildings on the property, and firefighters had trouble extinguishing the center of the massive blaze.
Dispatch reporter Shahid Meighan contributed to this report.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Fire breaks out again at Columbus car shredder, casting smoke plume over city
Reporting by Bailey Gallion, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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