NEWS: Thousands Flee Indiana Recycling Plant Fire, page 1

A fire is raging out of control at an Indiana recycling plant. The raging fire is being fuel by magnesium which the plant processes. Thousands have been evacuated from the surrounding areas. No injuries have been reported.

story.news.yahoo.com
ANDERSON, Ind. - A magnesium fire at a recycling plant burned out of control Friday night, spewing wind-driven toxic fumes and forcing the evacuation of several thousand people from their homes.

Hundreds of firefighters rushed to the Advanced Magnesium Alloys Corp. plant after the fire erupted. Explosions inside forced firefighters out less than three hours later, although they continued working from outside the building, said police spokesman Detective Terry Sollars.

"The whole building is engulfed now," Sollars said. "It's a bright glow, it's burning pretty hard."

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Having been through the fire academy, magnesium burns with such intensity they will have a hard time stopping it. You essentially have to deluge it with water to cool it down below its burn point to stop the reaction. I'm glad to see that no one has been hurt.

[edit on 1/15/05 by FredT]