August 13
Update
At the request
of WDHS, EPA is providing air monitoring and air sampling support in response
to the warehouse fire in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. EPA will continue to update
this web page.
Background
On the
afternoon of August 10, 2021, several fire departments from Wisconsin were
called to respond to a fire at the 710 Oak
Street Industrial Warehouse in Fort Atkinson, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
which stored chemicals and rubber products,
additives, and other fluids that were consumed in the fire. Immediately
upon arrival, the Fort Atkinson Fire Chief evacuated a one-mile radius
surrounding the facility due the presence of hazardous substances and oils
within the building. The following morning, August 11th, the
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) requested assistance from EPA
due to the large scale of the fire and the proximity to residential
areas. WDHS, the Wisconsin Emergency Management Agency
(WEMA), and Jefferson County conducted real time air monitoring in the community
and coordinated with EPA. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is
monitoring the fire runoff water. The WDNR deployed booms in the river
on August 10, 2021 to contain any runoff.
