Akron firefighters battling vacant warehouse fire near downtown; motorists should avoid area

One Akron firefighter was injured Thursday afternoon during a fire at a vacant industrial building just south of downtown at E. Crosier Street and Sweitzer Avenue.

The fire department didn't say what the the injury was but said it was not life threatening.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from both the front and sides of the structure. By 3:05 p.m., numerous city fire trucks were at the site. Firefighters had broken out the warehouse windows and were running lines to shoot water into the large building, said Akron Fire Lt. Joel Price.

Smoke, meanwhile, was billowing from the blaze just south of downtown, drawing the interest of motorists along I-76.

Price said the building was previously labeled a “do not enter” structure by city officials. That means it’s unsafe for firefighters to go inside, but it wasn't immediately clear why.

Price said that anything from hazardous materials left in the warehouse to structural instability could be the reason for the "do not enter" designation.

An Akron police officer told an Akron Beacon Journal photographer the building was "full of asbestos and creosote."

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are resistant to heat and corrosion, according to the National Cancer Institute. Because of these properties, asbestos has been used in commercial products such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes and wallboard materials.

Exposure can lead to cancers, the institute says on its website.

Creosote, according to the U.S. E.P.A's website, is derived from distilling tar from wood or coal. Pesticide products containing creosote as the active ingredient are used to protect wood used outdoors like railroad ties and utility poles.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron fire department fights blaze at Crosier Street warehouse