Clouds of filthy black smoke covered the skies of Washington, PA on Thursday, February 27th. Originating from a huge fire at a bankrupt tire recycling plant, the smoke heralded the evacuation of the Washington Park Elementary School and forced nearly 520 residents to flee their homes.

According to officials, the raging inferno, fueled by 300,000 tires stacked as high as 50 feet and covering an expanse almost as large as a football field, could continue burning for several days.

Many locals took refuge at evacuation centers set up at the South Strabane Fire Department in Pancake and at Trinity High School, while others decided to stay with relatives. Mayor L. Anthony Spossy went ahead and declared a state of emergency as workers began siphoning oil, which could cause contamination, from Catfish Creek. Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, police and emergency personnel remained at the site of the defunct National Granulating Co. plant, a half mile east of the city.

The fire's persistent nature and intense heat causes it to be a difficult one to put out. Water serves as being very ineffective against the burning petroleum residue from the tires, and could more likely scatter the dangerous smoke nearer to the ground.

A15-year-old boy has been charged with setting the disastrous blaze. The boy, whose name is not being released due to his age, had apparently been in trouble with the law in the past.

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