Massive OmniSource recycling-plant fire in Dayton sparks shelter-in-place, lifted after monitoring

Residents near Riverbend Way in Dayton were ordered to shelter in place Tuesday night after a massive fire ignited in a pile of ground-up appliances at the OmniSource recycling facility in the Gulf Inland Logistics Park, officials said. Click2Houston reported the shredded-appliance pile was nearly 60 feet tall and included washing machines and paint cans as crews moved in.

Liberty County Fire Marshal Nathan Green said the blaze "Broke out around 6:30 p.m." Tuesday as at least 14 volunteer fire departments from four counties responded to the Riverbend Way-Rolke Road area. Firefighters poured large volumes of water on the pile, and KPRC reported that "The plume coming off of the pile Wednesday morning is mostly steam from the water being poured on it."

The Liberty County Office of Emergency Management issued the shelter-in-place order "out of an abundance of caution," informing people inside the perimeter to stay indoors, close doors and windows, and turn off air conditioning units. Sources described the affected area in multiple ways: Click2Houston said the order covered a triangular area between US-90, SH-99 and FM-1960, ABC13 and KTRK described residents north of US-90 and east of SH-99, and Yahoo and KFDM reported the zone began along FM-1960 near Highway 90 and extended 17 miles southward.

Officials said air monitoring was conducted throughout the night and into the early morning. The Liberty County Office of Emergency Management and fire officials reported monitoring results that did not show concerning readings, and multiple outlets cited the county saying air quality checks were OK. The county rescinded the shelter-in-place at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, a time reported consistently by the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management and referenced by KTRK and other outlets; Click2Houston reported the order lifted "around 5 a.m.," a differing account noted by responders.

No injuries were reported through the incident, and Dayton Volunteer Fire Department confirmed via social media that the fire was extinguished by Wednesday afternoon, posting at 3:48 p.m. that all units were back in service. Reports indicate the operational response shifted from volunteer departments to a private firefighting contractor engaged by OmniSource as crews worked through containment and extinguishment.

The cause remains under investigation. Fire Marshal Nathan Green said investigators are considering lithium batteries as a possible source, noting it is "possible it was caused by lithium batteries," and officials continue to examine the site and monitoring data to determine next steps.