Toledo Fire & Rescue and the Lucas County Emergency Management Agency ordered residents in part of north Toledo, Ohio, to evacuate after a tank at an industrial facility began leaking hazardous material onto the ground, according to 13abc and a report republished by Yahoo News that cited WTOL.
What happened
The leak was reported around 10:48 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at a facility identified as Sterling Pipe & Tube, 1050 Progress Ave. in north Toledo, according to 13abc and SSBCrack News. A tank at the site was leaking chemical onto the ground outside the building.
Toledo Fire and Rescue Private Sheldon Collins told 13abc that a chemical was present in the air but that it had not been identified at this time. No injuries had been reported in any of the accounts reviewed.
Evacuation zone and shelter-in-place orders
Toledo Fire and Rescue initially ordered evacuations within a half-mile of the site, according to the Yahoo/WTOL report. The Lucas County Emergency Management Agency later expanded that order to a one-mile radius, telling residents in a public alert, as quoted by Yahoo: "Individuals within one mile of 1050 Progress Ave., Toledo, should EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY."
The one-mile zone includes the Raintree Village mobile home park and the Alexis Addition neighborhood, according to 13abc and SSBCrack News. Residents outside the evacuation zone were told to shelter in place by staying indoors, closing windows and doors, and shutting off any ventilation systems that draw in outside air.
Response zones around the Progress Avenue leak| Zone | Area affected | Instruction to residents |
|---|
| Initial order | Half-mile radius around 1050 Progress Ave. | Evacuate (early order from Toledo Fire and Rescue) |
|---|
| Expanded order | One-mile radius, including Raintree Village and Alexis Addition | Evacuate immediately (Lucas County EMA) |
|---|
| Outside evacuation zone | Surrounding Toledo area | Shelter in place: close windows/doors, shut off outside ventilation |
|---|
Roads, rail and transport for evacuees
Enterprise Boulevard between Stickney Avenue and Benore Road was closed, and nearby railroads were shut down, according to 13abc. Crews at the scene reported a visible haze and a chemical odor in the air, and a moving plume reduced visibility on area roadways, including Interstate 75.
The American Red Cross and TARTA buses were sent to help transport evacuees, using the Meijer store on East Alexis Road as a staging and temporary refuge point, according to 13abc and SSBCrack News. The Sterling Pipe & Tube facility itself was evacuated.
Toledo Fire and Rescue asked residents not to call 911 about the incident, saying dispatchers were being overwhelmed with calls; the department directed non-emergency questions to the city's Engage Toledo service, per 13abc.
What is still unknown
As of the reports reviewed Wednesday morning, officials had not publicly confirmed the identity of the chemical involved, how the leak started, or when the evacuation order would be lifted. All sources described the situation as a developing story, with hazmat crews, Toledo Fire and Rescue, and Lucas County emergency management continuing to respond.
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