SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (WNDU) – A massive fire at a South Haven plastics plant sent a thick plume of black smoke into the air visible for miles and led to a citywide power outage, according to our sister station WOOD-TV.
Power was restored around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night, according to reporting from WOOD-TV.
Firefighters raced to East Jordan Plastics off Blue Star Highway around 3:45 p.m. as large flames engulfed the facility and multiple propane explosions were reported.
Emergency officials said around 6:30 p.m. that the fire was contained but crews were still working to put it out completely. WOOD-TV reports that at least 11 fire departments from three counties were called to the scene and that the smoke was visible on a camera over 40 miles away.
Neighbors told WNDU they were evacuated from work early. Residents in the neighborhood were also evacuated from their homes, and some downtown shops closed early because of the power outage.
Emergency officials told WOOD-TV that all employees inside the facility evacuated safely. No injuries have been reported in connection with the fire.
Emergency officials said the city’s main electrical substation is only about 200 yards from the scene of the fire and the main power line was endangered. This led to a citywide power cutoff.
WOOD-TV reported that electrical staff on scene identified some damage to poles and secondary services, but primary circuits took little damage.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
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