The fire at the Berryton recycling plant in Summerville that started Friday evening may take two or three weeks to completely put out, according to officials.

While firemen take care of smoldering piles of plastic and other debris, officials lifted the mandatory quarter mile evacuation on Monday. The problem, however, is Berryton residents having access to their homes.

Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters said a large amount of water hose, fire apparatuses and heavy machinery are still in the area. Winters did say that folks living in Berryton were great to work with and they understood the complexity of the situation.

Air quality is still a concern in the area as well, according to Chattooga County Emergency Management Agency Director Eddie Henderson.

“The advisory has been reduced to one quarter-mile around the incident site. Outside this area the air quality index is typically described as good,” Henderson said.

Inside the one quarter-mile area, air quality can degrade and the following precautions are advised:

 In the morning and evening if you can see smoke hugging the ground, it is better to stay inside.

 Winds do affect the air quality minute to minute. Generally speaking, the winds have blown either to the south or to the east of the site. In the event the winds shift smoke in your direction you should limit your time outdoors.

 If you experience breathing or other problems that you think are related to the smoke, it is best that you leave the area until the smoke has cleared.

The blaze began Friday and burned heavily throughout the weekend, covering the town with dark smoke that was visible from Rome. Hundreds of firefighters from dozens of agencies converged on Summerville and poured millions of gallons of water on the flames.

The structure was a former yarn mill, but most recently was used to house recyclable plastics, which is the reason for the air quality concerns.

Visit www.thesummervillenews.com for more updates.