ROGERS, Ark. — The fire at a recycling and waste management company in Rogers left a cloud of smoke that could be seen for miles in Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Several people either inside the building, in a nearby neighborhood, or in the next town over were impacted by the intensity of the fire.
Truck driver Ivan Lewis was picking up a load nearby when he found himself in the middle of the fire that he couldn't believe got so bad, so fast.
"Looked over to my left, seen smoke, and then everybody started running, and they just got out of control," Lewis said.
This was a 4-alarm fire, which means it could be hazardous and difficult to contain.
"It was all around us," Lewis said. "It was flames everywhere ... black smoke."
It was difficult for Lewis to find a way out even though he immediately knew he had to.
"Me and the other drivers were trying to get out of there, and when we went to the entrance, a fire truck was blocking the entrance, so we just couldn't get out," he said.
That's when the fire began to spread further.
"The entrance caught on fire, and then the building caught on fire," Lewis said. "We just had to walk through the field and climb through the fence, over the railroad tracks, and just tried to get out."
After escaping the incoming flames, Lewis was left wondering what could have happened and how it escalated so quickly.
"One minute, is just a little and then out of control, and then next thing, can't get out the entrance, and then the entrance is on flames, and the building's on flames, and we're just trying to find a way to get out," Lewis said.
Nearly six hours later, an official said the fire was contained to a "manageable area." The fire department will have five trucks monitoring overnight. The official believes the fire will burn for at least a few days before it is extinguished.
Officials have not provided details about how the fire began or what is burning inside of the building. So far, the Rogers Police Department has said only two people were injured.
In the meantime, people in the area are encouraged to stay indoors with their windows and doors closed to avoid any potentially hazardous smoke.
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