TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo police evacuated a half-mile radius around a facility on Enterprise Boulevard in north Toledo late Thursday night as fire crews battle an active fire surrounding hydrogen tanks into Friday, ordering people to stay clear of the area. However, a Saturday morning update from TFRD indicated the order has now been lifted.
Toledo Fire & Rescue crews were attempting to cool the tanks at OneH2 Inc. and had an unmanned fire engine flowing water at the scene due to concerns about a potential explosion, according to TFRD spokesperson Pvt. Sheldon Collins.
Crews responded to the scene around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.
In a press release Friday, Toledo Fire and Rescue said all employees from the building had been safely evacuated prior to TFRD arrival.
Toledo police drones arrived at the scene to track the situation from an aerial view.
In an update Friday morning, Collins told WTOL 11 crews initially did not know what was in the tanks, which prompted the evacuation order.
Representatives from the company told TFRD it would be best to let the hydrogen tanks empty on their own. This caused TFRD crews to set up the unmanned constant flow of water to prevent the spread of the fire while the tanks emptied and burned off their contents.
TFRD said it and OneH2 determined it was in the best interest of the community to continue monitoring the area until the tanks are emptied.
The public was advised to stay clear of the area.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Collins said Friday it is too early in the investigation to determine if anyone was responsible.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOL 11 for the latest updates.