ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. — Isle of Wight County declared a local emergency during a large industrial fire Thursday, due to the potential "release of hazardous material into the environment."
Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Chief Garry Windley said that contractors remained on the scene into the night to ensure the water run-off and potential hazardous materials were contained. Isle of Wight is still under local emergency status, but officials say it is just for administrative reasons.
The cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental, but the exact cause is still under investigation.
The scene was turned back over to the owner Friday morning and they will be working with the Department of Environmental Quality to complete additional hazardous material cleanup if needed.
Fire department officials said the warehouse fire was brought under control around 1 p.m. and that the Virginia Department of Emergency Management had determined there was "no risk to the public regarding air quality."
Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene into the evening to control hot spots and flare-ups, said Windley.
He said a civilian and a firefighter with minor injuries were treated at the scene and released.
Crews from at least six local fire departments were called to the scene at a privately-owned warehouse on Isle of Wight Industrial Park Road in Smithfield, according to Assistant County Administrator Don Robertson.
Windley said the 23,000-square-foot warehouse, which housed 13 businesses, is a total loss.
“This is a lot of their livelihood, and now it’s lost," Windley said. "Now they’ve got to start again from scratch.”
Photos: Large industrial fire in Isle of Wight
The fire was first reported to county officials around 10:20 a.m., and "due to the nature of the fire," the local emergency was declared about an hour and a half later, Robertson said.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management is assisting fire crews in the management of potentially hazardous material runoff, Windley said. While it's known that there isn't an air quality risk to the public, they will need to test the runoff water.
Firefighters from Isle of Wight, Smithfield, Carrollton, Rushmere, Windsor, Suffolk, Surry and Newport News, as well as Virginia State Police, were working the scene.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. Windley said Virginia State Police is assisting in the investigation. No word on when the local emergency will be lifted yet.