WEIRTON, W.Va. — Fire crews are at the former Cleveland-Cliffs tin mill in Weirton after a fire broke out Saturday afternoon.
As of 6 p.m., Weirton Fire Chief Kevin Himmelrick says the fire is under control.
Lieutenant Troy Bickers told NEWS9’s Sullivan Beach that they think an employee was cutting something with a blow torch, which ignited the fire.
“It spread rapidly is what we were told,” Bickers said.
Bickers said work was being done to decommission some of the equipment in the building and operations closed there in April 2024. But he’s not sure how many people were in the building or how many got out as of now
Bickers is urging all residents to stay away from the scene.
“Right now, we’re urging people just to stay out of the area just because of the smoke and that it is potentially toxic,” Bickers said. “So, we’re asking people to not do what they’re doing right now, standing out here videotaping and breathing this stuff in. If they could stay away from the area right now so that the fire agencies can get here and not fight our own traffic.”
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