MADISON COUNTY, Mo. – A massive fire broke out at the Critical Mineral Recovery facility, a battery processing plant south of St. Louis, on Wednesday afternoon, releasing thick, toxic smoke into the air and prompting an immediate response from emergency teams.
Emergency officials ordered some evacuations, while many others in the area have been asked to shelter in place.
The CMR facility is located near Highway OO and Highway 72 in Fredericktown, Missouri. The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday
MADISON COUNTY, Mo. – A massive fire broke out at the Critical Mineral Recovery facility, a battery processing plant south of St. Louis, on Wednesday afternoon, releasing thick, toxic smoke into the air and prompting an immediate response from emergency teams.
Emergency officials ordered some evacuations, while many others in the area have been asked to shelter in place.
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 for several hours on Wednesday. No injuries have been reported from the fire as of Wednesday evening. Fire officials, however, have emphasized the need for caution and have warned against exposure to the hazardous fumes.
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Morgan County Sheriff Katy Mccutcheon urges residents to stay away from the facility as cleanup efforts continue. She thanked all of those who are working to make the community safer during this tragedy.
“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling to know that all you have to do is make a couple of phone calls and you get multiple agencies that are willing to set their life aside and go help strangers,” said McCutcheon.
currently says “This site can’t be reached” for some users, Critical Mineral Recovery, is a battery processor with 100 percent of its work dedicated to servicing Interco Trading Inc., a global recycling company that specializes in placement of smelter-ready minerals around the world.
Also according to the company website, Critical Mineral Recovery says it has a state-of-the-art fire prevention, detection and suppression system in the Fredericktown plant. The website describes it as one of the most sophisticated, automated, and remotely supervised fire suppression systems in the world. It appears that could have played a role in containing the fire from spreading to nearby properties.
The substances inside the facilities, however, presented challenges for