Fire breaks out at former West Virginia tin mill along Ohio River

WEIRTON, W.Va. — A fire broke out at a former West Virginia tin mill along the Ohio River on Saturday evening.

NBC affiliate WTOV reports that the fire at the Cleveland-Cliffs mill in Weirton was under control by 6 p.m., according to Weirton Fire Chief Kevin Himmelrick.

Per Himmelrick, workers were preparing to demolish part of the facility when an oxyacetylene torch ignited a large plastic tank that had previously been used for acid storage.

The fire caused a significant amount of smoke, but Himmelrick says the tank had previously been cleaned, so no additional chemicals were released into the air.

Residents were initially asked to avoid the area because officials weren’t sure if the smoke was toxic.

Building operations ceased in 2024, and utilities had been shut off, which initially was a challenge for first responders, since they had to rely on tankers to put out the flames.

Firefighters remained on scene overnight in the event of any reignition.

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