ROSELAND, La. — Independent testing has confirmed that chemicals from last month’s massive fire at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland spread for miles,

A nationally recognized contamination expert said his first round of results shows elevated levels of heavy metals in soot samples collected as far as six miles away from the fire site.

He described the mixture of oil, fumes and metals as unlike anything he has seen in other disaster zones. However, he cautioned that the level of exposure risk is still unclear.

Residents will have the chance to hear directly from that expert during a town hall meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Roseland.

See Full Page