Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that two firefighters were injured in the fire at the scrapyard. Those firefighters were injured in an unrelated house fire.
There were no reported injuries from a fire at a scrapyard on Columbus’ Southeast Side and the fire has been contained, but officials are asking people to avoid the area while they continue cleanup operations.
Fire crews responded at 12:21 p.m. on Oct. 28 to a fire at Columbus Auto Shredding at 2181 Alum Creek Dr. on the city’s Southeast Side. Police officers arrived at 12:41 p.m. to secure and shutter roadways in the area, police dispatch said.
Two Columbus firefighters were hospitalized in stable condition from battling a house fire on West Markison Avenue on the South Side that occurred about the same time. Both were in stable condition, at least one from exhaustion.
Lt. Nick Davis, spokesman for the Columbus Division of Fire, said that scrap metal from Columbus Auto Shredding somehow ignited and sparked a fire. Firefighters had some problems with privately-owned fire hydrants that were out of service, Davis said, but were eventually able to find a hydrant owned by the city to pull water from to fight the fire.
The fire was contained by around 1:50 p.m., Davis said. However, Davis said that the material at the plant was still burning and emitting smoke and would continue to do so for hours.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office reported that Alum Creek Drive is shut down between Frebis Avenue and Refugee Road and encouraged motorists to find an alternative route while firefighters continue to manage the blaze. The Refugee Road exit ramp along with surrounding areas are also closed, according to Columbus police.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus Public Health, and the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency have been notified and are in the loop, Davis said. He advised people to avoid the area of the scrapyard due to the smoke. However, he also said that chemical readings don’t indicate that there are serious air contaminants which would require evacuation of the area.
In September, a fire at the same Columbus Auto Shredding scrapyard was reported but quickly put out by firefighters, according to Columbus Division of Fire spokesperson Jeffrey Geitter.
Another fire at the auto shredder in September 2024 burned for days. A 40 to 50-foot pile of recyclable material threatened two buildings on the property, and firefighters had trouble extinguishing the center of the massive blaze.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com

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