COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Authorities evacuated an area of Ohio’s capital, Columbus, for several hours on Thursday out of fear that a fire in truck’s trailer could have caused lithium ion batteries to explode.
Police began evacuating a several-block area west of downtown shortly after 7 a.m. and closed off several highway exits near the Scioto River. Officers went door-to-door to alert residents about the evacuation, and a shelter was set up at a community center.
Although firefighters were still battling the blaze as of late morning, the evacuation order was lifted about three hours after it was issued and no injuries were reported.
The evacuation was ordered out of concern that the batteries could burn very rapidly and explode.
The fire was discovered at around 6 a.m., but the back of the smoking trailer wasn’t opened until around 9 a.m. because authorities were determining the best way to extinguish the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Quentin Tarantino SCRAPS plans for his final film The Movie Critic which had Brad Pitt set to star
James, Earl of Wessex, 16, stands shoulder
I got married at the top of a 2,600
Should you put 'magic' mushrooms in your coffee?
Vice President Harris returning to Wisconsin for third visit this year
WWII bomb found in garden in UK city taken out to sea
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation: Sammi 'Sweetheart' Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz
Masterful meals: Roast pheasant with a chestnut and cider cream sauce
250,000 Afghan children need education, food and homes after returning from Pakistan, says NGO
Ashley Roberts puts on a leggy display in a tiny mini
Civilian interrogator defends work at Abu Ghraib, tells jury he was promoted
Signs of sharp wit! These funny notices left customers in fits of laughter