CINCINNATI — A shelter-in-place order has been lifted after a barge containing diesel fuel caught fire along the Ohio River.
Anita Salyers has lived across the street from the Ohio River for nearly three decades and said she'd never seen a boat fire quite like the one that erupted Wednesday evening.
"It was really black," Salyers said. The sky, I'm glad it was blowing that way, but the sky turned pitch black. Then you saw a little bit of white, and then you saw pitch black some more, and after a little while you saw the flames from the barge."
The barge fire is under control, the shelter-in-place order is LIFTED for the area of 5400 River Rd. Smoke will be visible in the immediate area for the rest of the night. We are working with the @USCG to protect the environment from any hazards as well. pic.twitter.com/IPMRLUZnYH
— Cincy Fire & EMS (@CincyFireEMS) March 29, 2023
The fire, which is located near 5495 River Road, began around 3:30 p.m. and residents nearby were urged to shelter in place and also turn their HVAC systems off due to the diesel fuel.
It's unclear at the time what caused the barge, which is owned by McGinnis Inc., to catch fire. Crews fought the fire from both the shore and the river, and CFD Assistant Chief Flagler said those fighting the fire had to be careful so they didn't sink the barge.
Flagler said there was never an indication that hazardous materials were burning on the barge, but the shelter-in-place was issued out of an abundance of caution due to the potential for smoke from as much as 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel to irritate people living nearby.
"It's just a caution because the smoke can be irritating," Flagler said. There's no hazardous materials or other kind of chemicals in that smoke."
The assistant chief said fire crews were working with federal partners to test nearby waters and ensure nothing leaked into the river while fighting the blaze.
Watch Live:
