By James Windell
On Monday morning, September 28, 2026, life was returning to normal in the City of South Haven.
Cars of people receiving food lined up at the First Congregational Church’s Food Pantry on Phoenix Street. Café Julia was open for breakfast. The Bean Box Coffee was serving coffee. And cars were travelling back and forth on Blue Star Highway.
Mayor Annie Brown, City Manager Kate Hosier, and SHAES’ Executive Director Brandon Hinz visited the East Jordan Plastics’ site to survey the fire damage.
Hinz had time after an exhausting weekend to comment on the fire.
He was asked if this was the biggest fire South Haven has ever experienced.
“It could possibly be the largest in dollar loss,” Hinz says. “In reference to size or span, it’s definitely among the top three.”
Hinz says that in the late 1800’s and early to mid-1900’s, the South Haven Fire Department responded to a few large fires. He noted that downtown South Haven was consumed in the 1800’s and there were large resort and assembly fires in the 1900’s along North Shore Drive. He also recalls that the Lappo Lumber fire in South Haven Township in the 1980’s was a large fire and in 1999 there was a significant hog farm fire.
While Friday’s East Jordan Plastics fire was a fire requiring many other fire departments coming to South Haven to help out, there were no serious injuries to first responders.
“We are extremely fortunate to report the only injury was one of our firefighters had a hand laceration,” he says.
He was also appreciative of the outpouring of food, water, and porta potties from the community. “The support was overwhelming,” he says. “Even before food and water was requested, it just started showing up with community members dropping off food and supplies.”
A Sunday press release from the City asks for patience as it will be weeks before more is known about the cause of the fire.
“The most important thing is that no one was injured and that the precautionary measures we took to protect the community did just that,” said Chief DeBoer in the release.
The East Jordan Plastics company issued a statement on its website on Saturday, September 26. Acknowledging the substantial fire at their East Jordan Plastics facility in South Haven, the statement said that “Our team quickly evacuated the facility, and no injuries have been reported.”
It went on to say that the company is working closely with local authorities and emergency responders as they investigate the cause of the fire. “We are grateful to the first responders who worked to protect our employees, our facility and the surrounding community.”
The statement also said that South Haven is “an important part of who we are, and we know this fire has disrupted the lives of our neighbors, local businesses and the broader community. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.”
As of Sunday, the EPA reported that they were continuing to monitor air quality around the site and in the downwind neighborhood until Saturday evening. “Since Saturday’s results showed no elevated levels for particulate matter or volatile organic compounds, EPA consulted with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and determined no further monitoring was necessary,” an EPA statement said. EPA left the site at noon on Sunday.
In fighting the fire, SHAES and other firefighting units used more than two million gallons of water. The EPA reported that SHAES covered manholes surrounding the site and contained as much runoff water as possible. An EPA statement said that EPA collected a sample of the water and will send the results to EGLE to help the state determine how to manage the remaining water. East Jordan Plastics will pump the water and store that water in large tanks until the state makes a determination. The company also placed a floating barrier, or boom, in the nearby creek to collect any potential debris, primarily plastic pellets, coming from the site.
After visiting the site of the fire on Monday, City Manager Kate Hosier sent out a press release late Monday afternoon. In the release, Hosier stated that cleanup and monitoring efforts are continuing.
“We understand the concerns of the community and want to assure everyone of the steps that have already been taken, and continue to be taken, to protect air, water and the surrounding habitat,” Hosier wrote in the release. “There is no danger to the public and no identified precautions that need to be taken by residents or businesses, including pet owners, farming operations, those using area waterways or others who call this area home.”
East Jordan Plastics, according to Hosier’s release, hired trusted consultant Onterris to continually monitor air and water in the vicinity of the plant “out of an abundance of caution.” This process is being overseen by The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). In addition, EGLE will provide regulatory oversight of the remaining cleanup and response actions.
Also, East Jordan Plastics has hired Clean Harbors, an experienced environmental cleanup firm specializing in emergency response. Clean Harbors will restrict water and its contents from leaving the site while cleanup continues; and is working to ensure any microplastics, a byproduct of plastics manufacturing, are collected for landfill and do not enter the water. Clean Harbors is also using Vactor trucks to collect any contamination – including small plastic pellets – and to continue to protect catch basins, sewer and storm lines.
Hosier’s statement also indicated that East Jordan Plastics hopes to have employees back by the end of the week. Asked for comments about the cleanup and plans for employees, East Jordan Plastics’ management declined to make a statement to the media.
