PARKERSBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A precautionary shelter-in-place order has been issued for an area near the Peoples Cartage warehouse fire in Parkersburg after air monitoring detected elevated particulate levels.
According to Wood County 911, air monitoring conducted in coordination with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently exceeded minimum threshold levels.
As a result, Incident Command has recommended a precautionary shelter-in-place for the area identified on an official map released by emergency officials. The affected area is generally along Staunton Turnpike (West Virginia Route 47) near the Little Kanawha River.
Officials emphasized that the shelter-in-place order is being issued out of an abundance of caution while crews continue to monitor air quality and battle the warehouse fire.
Residents within the designated area are urged to remain indoors and follow guidance from local emergency officials until further notice.
The shelter-in-place recommendation comes as firefighters continue working to extinguish the massive warehouse fire that prompted Gov. Patrick Morrisey to declare a State of Emergency for Wood County earlier Sunday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
