Authorities respond to west Columbus hazmat incident [Video]

No injuries were reported.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — People were evacuated from their homes for several hours Thursday morning when a lithium-ion battery fire inside a semitruck in west Columbus prompted a hazmat response.

Crews with the Columbus Division of Police and Columbus Division of Fire arrived at the 1600 block of McKinley Avenue at 5:20 a.m. after receiving a report of smoke coming from a trailer of a semi. A spokesperson with the fire department said there was pressure in the trailer and it was full of lithium-ion batteries. The truck was carrying 5,900 pounds of batteries.

An evacuation was ordered out of concern that the batteries could burn very rapidly and explode. Police evacuated buildings and homes within a mile radius of the incident, including a COTA substation.

Officers went door-to-door to alert residents about the evacuation, and a shelter was set up at the Dodge Community Center.

Responders used a robot from the fire department’s bomb squad to open …