Fire crews continue to douse hot spots at the scene of the Peoples Cartage warehouse fire Tuesday morning. Officials at the scene said the fire is around 95% extinguished with crews working to dig out and extinguish hot spots. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – The large plumes of black smoke radiating from the Peoples Cartage warehouse site off of Camden Avenue since early Sunday were gone by mid-morning Tuesday as fire crews continued to douse hot spots at the scene.

“The fire is approximately 95% extinguished,” said Wood County 911 Director Dale McEwuen. “What they are doing now is they are checking some hot spots where they know some heat is still coming from.

“They are going to get into those spots and put the fire out there in those small locations.”

Crews were still using heavy equipment, like excavators, to dig to reach the hot spots.

“That will stir some dust and particulate matter, but it will be nothing like what we had during the full fire,” McEwuen said.

Dark smoke rises from behind the main complex of the Peoples Cartage building where a fire reignited Sunday evening. First responders continued containment procedures Monday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

A number of the fire companies who came to help battle the blaze have been released to be able to return home, resupply and get some rest so they will be able to handle whatever emergencies they have in their areas. McEwuen did not have an immediate list of the departments that have been released and which ones were still on scene.

Officials at the scene were keeping an eye on the back corner of the complex closest to Erickson Field, he said.

A shelter in place order was lifted Tuesday afternoon. It had covered the area across the Little Kanawha River from the warehouse, along the river and Staunton Turnpike, from just south of Dry Run north toward Brown Asphalt Paving.

The announcement on the Wood County 911 Center’s Facebook page said air monitoring data showed levels below the minimum thresholds.

There was some confusion over the area covered after announcements from West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office indicated a different scope. Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard expressed frustration with the information in that statement and said the map posted to the Wood County 911 Center’s Facebook page, included with this story, was accurate.

The Salvation Army of Parkersburg had a mobile command center that offered food and drinks to first responders Monday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

A representative of the governor’s office said this morning the wording in the statement was based on the initial information they received.

Wood County Emergency Management Director Sam Scalise said air monitoring data shows the particulate levels had dropped below that threshold, but the shelter in place remained in effect for a few hours as a precaution while excavators were used to break down and dig into the burning facility to assist in firefighting efforts.

“We want to make sure that the particulate level doesn’t increase as a result of that physical activity,” he said.

A no-fly zone at the site would be in effect for another 48 hours, McEwuen said just before noon on Tuesday.

Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard on Monday noted that East Wood Volunteer Fire Chief Ron Utt and Lubeck Volunteer Fire Chief Mark Stewart are the incident commanders for this fire and held the same roles in 2017 when the nearby IEI warehouse fire burned for a week.

Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard gives a briefing on the different aspects of the fire at Peoples Cartage before the Wood County Commission Monday morning. Commissioners had officials come in to give briefings on the fire along Camden Aveue, just outside the city limits of Parkersburg. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“We are very fortunate to have people who were there during the IEI fire,” he said.

From information at the scene and corresponding inventory sheets, McEwuen said the materials inside the structure were high carbon polymer and high carbon rubber polymer. Woodyard said they did not detect any indications of nuclear, biological or chemical materials at the site, despite what some people are posting on Facebook and social media.

McEwuen said plastic fires are extremely difficult to extinguish.

“It doesn’t want to go out,” he said. “Once it gets hot, that heat wants to stay in there.”

Woodyard said the airspace around the site had to be closed off as unauthorized drones were being flown in and interfering with operations onsite as well as causing problems for drones being used by emergency officials to help direct efforts. The sheriff said some people also had to be removed from the area who were “sightseeing.”

Hundreds of meals were prepared by members of the Parkersburg Area Association of Realtors in order to ensure students involved in the Summer Feed Program had access to food Monday. (Photo provided)

Community members have been dropping off donations to the Wood County Resiliency Center since midday Sunday, said Director Sydney Weber. They opened a precautionary shelter around 4 p.m. Sunday and after five hours they reported having no participation. They closed down the shelter operation to conserve resources.

“We are ready to open again if needed,” she said.

Officials with the United Way said they received no calls from anyone seeking shelter.

The National Weather Service in Charleston has been monitoring weather and wind patterns throughout the week. Meteorologist Jennifer Barryman said the Mid-Ohio Valley should expect westerly winds moving from west to southwest throughout the next few days.

Due to the storms, there is a potential for winds to shift. There are chances of rain and storms daily throughout the week which could continue moving smoke from the area.

Dark smoke from the Peoples Cartage fire in Parkersburg is seen Sunday evening in Williamstown. (Photo provided by Sam Shawver)

Woodyard said he would not expect the cause to be determined until an investigation can be conducted by the state Fire Marshal’s Office. West Virginia Fire Marshal Ken Tyree has been on the scene of the fire.

“They are going to take an active role in the investigation in determining the origin and cause of the fire,” Woodyard said. “That will be days down the road after the fire is put out.

“Even once it is out with the heat, it will take some time to get boots on the ground.”

Fire officials and Total Distribution Inc., which owns the Peoples Cartage facility, have said the incident is the result of a smaller fire that happened on Saturday reigniting. The sprinkler system that extinguished that fire was down for maintenance and repairs but a “stringent fire-watch” was being maintained, the company said in the statement. Personnel were able to evacuate, and no injuries have been reported.

Wood County Schools canceled summer programs Monday and kept summer school classes closed Tuesday as the district continued to monitor conditions related to the fire. Superintendent Christie Willis said Monday that crews were checking buildings near the affected area to make sure they were safe before programs resumed.

“We’re just checking it out right now,” Willis said. “Everything’s fine. We have not found any concerns. The buildings don’t have any smoke issues. There’s no smells in them.”

Summer feeding services were set to resume Tuesday, with meals available for pickup at Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg South High School, Jefferson Elementary Center and Martin Elementary School. Meal deliveries to other designated sites, including partner locations such as the YMCA, would resume if those sites are open and able to safely receive deliveries, according to the district.

Staff reporters Amber Phipps and Gwen Sour contributed to this story.