A massive fire tore through East Jordan Plastics in South Haven late Friday afternoon, sending thick smoke for miles and triggering a citywide power shutdown. The blaze began in pallets of plastic stored outside the facility at 1600 Stieve Drive before flames spread inside, and it grew serious enough that local authorities reportedly classified it as a three-alarm fire.
According to MLive.com, emergency crews from six different agencies responded to battle the flames. The outlet, citing WXMI-TV, reported that early propane explosions threw tanks hundreds of feet into the air as the fire intensified. The East Jordan Plastics premises were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported among employees.
Power Shutdown Spreads Outages Across South Haven
The fire prompted a power shutdown that left South Haven experiencing mass outages until crews could get the industrial blaze under control, per the same MLive report. The public was asked to stay out of the area while crews worked the scene.
The disruption arrived on a night South Haven Public Schools had planned homecoming festivities, and the fire's timing forced a scramble.
Homecoming Parade and Football Game Scrapped
City officials canceled South Haven's homecoming festivities and a local parade, saying the fire presented circumstances beyond the city's control. The cancellations also affected a football game tied to the homecoming weekend, according to the report. Rescheduling information for the canceled events was expected by 9 a.m. Saturday.
Industrial fires at plastics facilities have caused similar chaos elsewhere. A massive plastics plant fire in North Texas in 2020 sent a toxic plume over the region and forced the cancellation of sports, school, and other community events, according to a year-end roundup from NBC DFW. The South Haven blaze followed a familiar pattern: a fast-moving industrial fire upending an entire community's weekend plans on short notice.
For now, South Haven residents are left waiting on updates as crews continue working near Stieve Drive.
