DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WOIO) — The Portage County Emergency Management Agency said in an update that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has developed a plan to safely extinguish a gob fire discovered Oct. 3 in Deerfield Township, according to a post on the agency’s “Portage Prepares” Facebook page.
The update from “Portage Prepares” said that the fire was discovered Oct. 3 during pipeline repairs.
According to the post by “Portage Prepares,” ODNR and partnering agencies “have conducted site investigations, air quality assessments, and exploratory drilling to evaluate conditions and develop a plan to safely extinguish the fire.”
The page shared the following findings from the investigation:
“Portage Prepares” said that based on these findings, officials “have not identified evidence of significant off-site gas impacts.”
What happens next
The page adds that ODNR has developed a remediation plan to safely extinguish the subsurface fire and restore the affected area.
Work on this plan is anticipated to begin as early as next week, with weather and site conditions permitting.
“Portage Prepares” advises that residents may notice increased equipment activity and temporary odors near the work area, but air monitoring and safety procedures will be used.
With plans in place, officials are reminding residents that the affected area is private property and not open to the public, according to the page.
For safety, officials are asking residents to remain outside of the property’s boundaries and let authorized personnel work without interruptions.
“Portage County EMA, ODNR, Ohio EPA, PCHD, and local emergency responders remain in communication and will continue coordinating efforts throughout the remediation process,” the page reports.
“Portage Prepares” said that during the excavation process, Portage County EMA will deploy air quality equipment from the Portage County HazMat Team near the site.
“ODNR and contracted staff will have continuous air monitoring in the main work area to ensure no downwind hazard is present,” the page adds.
Residents are encouraged to follow Portage County EMA’s “Portage Prepares” social media pages for official updates.
Background on the fire
The Deerfield Fire Department first responded on Saturday, Oct. 3, to a brush fire off State Route 225 in Portage County. The fire was extinguished, but on Monday, Oct. 5, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Mineral Resources returned to the area after reports of a possible coal-related fire. During that response, air monitoring equipment detected hydrogen sulfide — a gas that can pose health risks depending on the level and length of exposure.
“Hydrogen sulfide is potentially, if exposed to a large volume of it – could potentially be lethal to you if you inhaled an exorbitant amount of it,” said Deerfield Fire Chief Derek Day.
ODNR says evidence suggests the fire may have been burning for some time, but the Division of Mineral Resources Management reports it has no reason to believe the incident is tied to an abandoned underground coal mine.
The intersection of State Route 224 and State Route 225, just a couple hundred feet behind Portage Septic, is about a quarter mile away from the main area to avoid.
What started the fires is not confirmed, but experts say it’s critical people understand the potential symptoms to come from the hydrogen sulfide exposure.
People living near the intersection of State Route 224 and State Route 225 were asked to watch for symptoms including eye irritation, coughing, and throat irritation. Anyone experiencing those symptoms should move away from the area and seek medical guidance. People with severe symptoms — such as trouble breathing or loss of consciousness — are urged to seek emergency medical help immediately.
“If you immediately lose your sense of smell, you need to recognize that immediately and get out of the area,” Day said.
Day said crews have sprayed down the ground cover in the area to avoid another brush fire and had an excavator push soil over what was burning.
“I’ve never been exposed to a fire of this type of situation that we’re dealing with right now,” Day said.