Battery plant fire: Neighbors want to know if it's safe to return or be outside

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. – Air quality monitoring continues Thursday in homes next to the Critical Mineral Recovery facility following a large fire the day prior. Residents who live on the street next to the battery plant are still under an evacuation for the next few days. Those homeowners said there is a lot of confusion about when they can go back inside.

“We thought that the evacuation was lifted this morning because there were no barricades at the road,” Kathy McDaniel said. “So, we came down here and went in the house, but I got really sick after we got in there, and he got a really bad headache.”

The CMR facility is located near Highway OO and Highway 72 in Fredericktown, Missouri. The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Flames and heavy smoke billowed from the plant for several hours on Wednesday.

HAZMAT crews and at least 25 fire agencies were on-site Wednesday, battling the flames with the support of the plant’s extensive fire suppression system. The suppression system includes a 200,000-gallon water storage tower, 54 high-powered nozzles, and stationary sprinklers that discharge biodegradable foam to expand water capacity.

Fire officials continue to emphasize the need for caution and have warned against exposure to the hazardous fumes. The EPA and Missouri Department of Natural Resources spent Thursday testing ground and air quality of homes directly next to the fire.

“I would just like to know if our house is safe to go into and the order that they’re taking to take care of this situation. Yeah, our dogs,” Shay and Jennifer Tourville said. “So far it has been minimal on what we know but, you know, we have pets. Are they okay to go in the backyard? Answers we’re wanting to know.”

The Critical Mineral Recovery is about 90 miles south of St. Louis and 20 miles south of Farmington in Madison County, Missouri.