May 11, 2023
Mayor Dave Snow outlines actions and next steps.
Today, Richmond Mayor Dave Snow issued an update one month after a fire forced the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes. The fire at the former My-Way Trading warehouse began on April 11 and burned for several days.
“We have learned a lot over the last month,” said Richmond Mayor Dave Snow. "More importantly, we have witnessed the heroism of our first responders, the collaborative spirit of our county, state, and federal partners, and the resiliency and compassion of our community.”
In the weeks since the fire, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), and the City of Richmond have taken several steps to clean up the site. Under Mayor Snow’s direction, the city has issued a formal request to the EPA to undertake an environmental investigation and immediate removal action of the materials at or near the site, executed a site access agreement allowing mitigation to begin, and secured an environmental consultant to monitor the process.
In addition, the Richmond Fire Department, Richmond Police Department, and Richmond Street Department are working with the EPA to mobilize heavy equipment on the site to assist with the assessment and remediation activities.
There are several steps in the clean-up process. Initial steps include:
“Although the full clean-up effort will take quite some time, we’re working diligently to get it moving," said Mayor Snow. "The sooner we get started the sooner we’ll get it finished. We’re going to keep pushing forward every day until we can put this behind us and look ahead.”
The City of Richmond and the EPA will continue to update their web pages as new information becomes available.
The Wayne Township Trustee’s office and the Red Cross continue to support residents impacted by the fire. Anyone needing assistance can call the Wayne County Help Line at (765)973-9300.
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