Event Date: 10/11/2022
Start Time: 03:45 pm

Federal, State, and Local Update on the Menominee, Michigan Warehouse Fire (10/11/22)

Coordinating agencies:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
  • Wisconsin Department of Health Services
  • Menominee County
  • Marinette County
  • Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties
  • Marinette County Public Health
  • City of Menominee
  • City of Marinette

MENOMINEE, Mich. (October 11, 2022) – Ongoing fire at the Menominee, Michigan Resolute Forest Products warehouse. City, state, and federal officials today released an update on response activities.

The fire is contained and under control. Portions of the warehouse facility adjacent to Resolute Forest Products continue to burn and fire suppression by local and regional fire departments is continuing.

There have been no reports of fatalities or injuries related to the incident. Fire crews from several jurisdictions remain on the scene to monitor the site.

To suppress the fire, the fire department is planning to use non-PFAS foam at the site. The two foams are SILV-EX PLUS Class A Fire Control Foam Concentrate and DIRECTATTACK Class A foam.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added additional air monitoring stations to continue to conduct air monitoring and air sampling at the site and in the surrounding communities for common contaminants we know can be associated with industrial fires. No chemical compounds above health screening levels were detected.

EPA is coordinating with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on surface water sampling at 21 locations and testing related to potential run-off from the incident site to the Menominee
wastewater treatment plant and adjacent Menominee River. EPA, state agencies, and local water utilities are coordinating to implement sampling to confirm that there are no impacts on drinking water supplies and will share results as they become available.

State and federal environmental agencies are also in communication with Resolute Forest Products and other industrial tenants of the warehouse to determine what chemicals were present in the warehouse at the time of the fire.

The incident is being handled under a unified command structure led by EPA. Agencies participating in the unified command are EGLE, Wisconsin DNR, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Menominee County, Marinette County, Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties, Marinette County Public Health, the cities of Menominee and Marinette, and the industrial tenants of the warehouse.

A joint information center has been established by the unified command to keep the public informed as response activities continue. The JIC will send updates to the press by 3 p.m. CT each day of the response.

For more information, please visit https://response.epa.gov/menomineewarehousefire.

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