Toledo orders about 1,000 residents to evacuate after chemical tank explosion

Mayor Kapszukiewicz details Wednesday guidance, executive travel and gas-to-liquid behavior

A chemical tank exploded at MC Tank Terminal in Toledo, Ohio, releasing glycidyl methacrylate into the air. An employee at the company called first responders late Tuesday night to address the explosion. The city issued its initial evacuation order Tuesday night. MC Tank Terminal specializes in transporting bulk liquid chemicals and provides tank container transportation, storage and maintenance.

A photograph dated Oct. 21, 2026, showed a plume rising from the Toledo explosion site. The caption labeled the company MC Tank Transport Inc, while the report’s body called it MC Tank Terminal; the photograph was credited to Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade/AP.

Officials were investigating the tank explosion, which released a chemical into the air and caused the mass evacuation. One first responder was injured and taken to the hospital. Toledo officials said the injuries were believed to be non-life-threatening but remained unsure what caused the explosion.

At a Wednesday news conference, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said residents within 1 mile of the explosion needed to evacuate and those within 3 miles were asked to shelter in place with their windows sealed. Kapszukiewicz said MC Tank Terminal executives were en route to Toledo to assess the situation.

The US Census Bureau puts Toledo’s population at roughly 265,000 people. The city had issued an evacuation order Tuesday night for about 300 people living within a half mile of the explosion before expanding the zone to a full mile, affecting about 1,000 people. City officials said Wednesday that, as far as they knew, all residents in the evacuation zone had been evacuated. Kapszukiewicz said officials did not know how long the evacuation and shelter orders would last.

“We understand the seriousness of what has happened here,” Kapszukiewicz said. “That’s why we took the actions that we did. That’s why we’re going to continue to monitor and communicate with the public throughout the day.”

Toledo officials identified the released substance as glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial coating product used in plastics, rubbers and resins. Kapszukiewicz said at Wednesday’s news conference that the chemical became a gas when released and would turn again into a liquid if it settled back into the tank. Kapszukiewicz said he hoped the risk of explosion would have expired by then and that efforts could be made to contain and eliminate the hazard.

Local officials said the airborne irritant can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin. They advised residents experiencing difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting, dizziness or confusion to go to the emergency room or call 911.

Toledo local news outlets reported a visible, dense fog over the city and a plastic-like odor.

Residents were asked to communicate with local businesses and schools within the evacuation zone to determine their plans during the evacuation. Some schools closed Wednesday and others delayed their opening, according to NBC News.