Former American Rubber factory site destroyed by fire

LA PORTE, Ind. -- Residents who live near the former American Rubber plant are under an air quality advisory following a massive fire that started early Wednesday morning and continued to burn into the afternoon.

Although the building was no longer operating as a factory, it was being used to store highly flammable hand sanitizer containers.

The smoke from the fire prompted the air quality alert.

The La Porte city fire department responded to the factory on Brighton Street at 12:27 a.m. after bystanders reported the massive fire.

“I woke up about five to two, my husband was already awake. I said, ‘Did you see what’s happening?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard it crackling, somethings crackling!’” Doreen Howard said.

The factory went out of business after a boiler explosion in the 1990s killed four employees and injured at least ten others.

Recently the building had been used to store pallets of hand sanitizer, which is highly flammable.

“We knew this was something that was going to spread very quickly and be very dangerous. We didn’t figure anyone was in there, so we went in on a defensive attack shortly into because it did spread so quickly," Fire Chief Andy Snyder of the La Porte Fire Department.

Fire departments from Kankakee and Cold Springs were called in to assist.

They used around 8,000 gallons of water a minute to combat the blaze.

The departments managed to have the fire around 80% contained around 11:00 a.m., but ran into difficulties when parts of the building started to collapse.

“The fire was so intense, there have been several collapses of either second floor upon first floor, or walls collapsing inward, and that has trapped fire underneath that’s still burning," Chief Snyder said.

The fire caused a thick haze of yellow smoke to envelop the area. Residents downwind of the factory are under an air quality advisory and all residents are asked to avoid the area.

Around 12:30 p.m., an excavator was brought in to expose the hot spots the crews couldn't access.

As crews continued to fight the fire, people gathered and watched.

“It was a lot worse at 5:30 this morning. It’s a little bit more smoky, obviously now, with them tearing the building down, but the EMS and everybody out here has been doing a fantastic job in trying to eliminate an unfortunate incident," Dealaina Sanders said.

There have been no injuries reported.

Residents say they're glad the old factory is gone.

“Thank goodness the building is gone. It’s been an eyesore, and run down, with homeless people and drug activity for years," Sanders said.

“I hate to see it happen this way, but I’m glad it’s gone, with them tearing it down, hopefully everything. Hopefully it helps brighten it up a little bit, with the emptiness, and getting rid of it. It benefits us too," Howard said.

Until the fire is completely out, Brighton, Heinze and Grove streets are closed to traffic.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.