Massive Fire Prompts Air Quality Warning: VIDEO

HIGHLAND PARK, MI – Health officials have issued an air-quality advisory and said some communities may see light smoke and ash due to a massive warehouse fire in Highland Park that could continue to burn for days.

The fire at the Reclaim Detroit warehouse, located at the corner of Oakman and Hamilton, broke out around 3 a.m. Wednesday, WXYZ-TV and the Detroit Free Press reported.

The nonprofit business — which strips down abandoned houses and salvages valuable items, such as Douglas fir and pine, tiles, fixtures, antique windows, bubble-filled glass and handles — is nationally prominent.

“It’s pertaining to the fire, because the water pressure is so low because the fire is so massive,” Ruth Harlin, executive assistant to Mayor Hubert Yopp, told The Detroit News.

Explosions heard inside the inferno were likely caused by propane tanks inside the business, firefighters said.

Oakland County health officials said the smoke and ash from the fire can have a variety of adverse health effects.

• Smoke can cause coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, stinging eyes, and runny nose.
• If you have heart or lung disease, smoke may make your symptoms worse.
• People who have heart disease may experience chest pain, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or fatigue.
• Smoke may worsen symptoms for people who have pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, COPD, or respiratory allergies. They may experience the following symptoms: inability to breathe normally, cough with or without mucus, chest discomfort, wheezing, or shortness of breath.

Anyone who experiences those problems should contact their health-care provider, the Oakland County Health Division said.