RICHMOND, Ind. — Twisted metal, piles of bricks and burnt plastic now sit in the spot of the former My Way Trading Warehouse in Richmond. One month ago, it caught fire, burning plastic and sending toxic smoke into the air.
The City of Richmond says there's a lot of work to be done and residents and business owners agree, but they're adjusting to back into normal life after a chaotic month.
The city says the cleanup process will begin May 15, starting with a sampling of debris from the EPA. Next, they say they will develop a plan to remove the materials.
Jenny Tinkle works across the street from the warehouse. April 11 is a day she will never forget.
"We had a customer walk in and I was helping him at the counter," she said. "He had been there a couple of minutes and finally he said, 'Did you know the building down the street is on fire?' We weren't aware of it, so that's when we found out it was on fire and we knew it was going to be a big one when we saw that."
What came in the days and weeks afterwards, Tinkle can only describe one way.
"It was a little bit chaotic," she said. "Our parking lot was full of emergency responders. We had the sheriff's office, the EPA, firefighters, the health department."
Less than a mile away, Sandy Carpenter told 13News she remembers April 11 starting out pleasant.
"I was sitting outside, working. It was a pretty day," said Carpenter. "I heard a neighbor say, 'Oh my god.'"
She's lived in her home, less than a mile from the warehouse fire, home for more than 40 years.
"Smoke. Billows and billows and billows," said Carpenter.
One thing that's stuck with residents is a new appreciation for first responders.
"I don't know how they did it, but they were able to keep a lot of homes and businesses free from the fire," said Tinkle. "I'm thankful for all of them."