JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. — James City County (JCC) officials updated on Tuesday that the underground fire that caused a parking lot to collapse is still actively burning.
As of 12:20 p.m., JCC officials posted that the underground fire at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets was still actively burning and smoky conditions were still present. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were still on the scene conducting tests to make sure environmental impacts are low.
Officials stated, "Air monitoring has been within normal ranges consistent with a plastics fire... The monitoring indicates that the NIOSH threshold limit value for worker protection for carbon monoxide has not been exceeded. In addition, community monitoring was observed to be below the OSHA PEL."
Air and water sampling is also being conducted which will be shared once available.
"The Virginia Department of Health's Office of Drink Water reports that drainage from the outlet mall will not impact the surrounding localities’ drinking water sources, including Waller Mill Reservoir and Walkers Dam," officials said. "The sampling that is being conducted will continue to ensure that no drinking water sources are impacted."
Officials said that even with air monitoring indicating safe air quality levels, "Smoke inhalation may still irritate eyes, nose, throat and lungs. The surrounding community adjacent to the fire can still protect themselves by staying indoors and/or avoiding the area." They recommend that people with respiratory issues use a filter or an approved respirator.
Officials held a press conference on Monday, giving an update on the situation outside of the site of the fire.
PREVIOUS: Officials give update on underground fire burning for days at Williamsburg Premium Outlets
JCC Fire Chief Ryan Ashe explained during the conference that the underground fire is still going, and while the smoke has increased, testing from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has concluded that the air quality is below thresholds for dangerous air, meaning those in the area without respiratory issues should be safe. The EPA had also been called in to conduct additional testing.
"At this point, we're just going to allow it to burn because we can't get the water in the correct areas to extinguish it, and we're also concerned about the runoff that it may create," he said.
Ashe also said the hole caused by the fire had expanded since the fire began on Saturday.
"When we arrived on Saturday there was an initial collapse located at the rear of the parking area, over the course of the day Saturday and into yesterday and this morning, we probably have 75-85% of the parking lot has collapsed."
Ashe was referring to the rear overflow and auxiliary lot, not the main parking lots. These lots are not affected by the fire.
Crews responded to an underground fire at Premium Outlets around 9 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived, they found the parking lot behind the stores partially collapsed and a fire in the stormwater detention facility.
According to a Nov. 25 update from JCCFD, an underground stormwater chamber consisting of modular crates made of high-density plastic caught on fire; that chamber contains stormwater runoff from the front parking lot of the outlets.
JCCFD stresses that the chamber is not connected to a sanitary service system.
So far, the fire and rescue team has not reported any injuries. Many shoppers said they could still smell the smoke.
On Sunday around 10:45 a.m., James City County officials updated that the fire was still burning and that smoke had increased in the area. Firefighters are working to cool down the area and keep the smoke down as much as possible, but people with respiratory issues should avoid the outlet.
Authorities had the north side of the shopping center that's adjoined to the parking garage taped off and closed to shoppers.