Nearly 70 emergency agencies from Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania mobilized in response.[10] East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway declared a state of emergency.[5]
On February 5, as the fires continued to burn, temperature increases raised fears of a "catastrophic tanker failure which could cause an explosion with the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile."[11] Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered the evacuation of all residents within a one-mile radius and activated the Ohio National Guard to assist local authorities.[11] DeWine said, "this is a matter of life and death."[12] Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro ordered an evacuation in areas of Beaver County which bordered the site.[10] Officials in both states began going door-to-door to evacuate residents.[13]
On February 6, emergency crews conducted a controlled release and burn of toxic chemicals into the air to prevent further explosions. The burn formed black clouds above the area and released phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air.[7] Officials said that the air quality readings were not showing anything concerning.[14] Residents in nearby Mahoning and Trumbull counties reported a chemical smell in their areas. Officials in the Youngstown region advised residents to stay indoors.[15]
On February 9, the evacuation was lifted after the US EPA reported that the air inside and outside the evacuation zone was back to normal levels, as seen before the train derailment.[16] While toxins were detected at the derailment site, outside of the area they were not. The Ohio EPA reported that the train cars spilled toxins into the waterways, but drinking water was safe.
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