Fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Photo: City of Winston-Salem/Facebook
Over 6,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes amid a fire at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The fire broke out Monday evening at the Winston Weaver Company fertilizer plant and continues to burn, authorities said during apress conferenceon Tuesday morning.
After arriving on the scene, firefighters battled the blaze for over an hour before deciding to abandon the operation “due to the risks of the products that are on site at this facility.” Since then, a one-mile radius has been established around the plant, which city residents are being urged to avoid.
“Right now, the fire is still active, and there’s still potential for explosion. We’re asking all the citizens to evacuate the area for a one-mile radius around it,” Winston-Salem Fire Department Battalion Chief Patrick Grubbs told reporters on Tuesday morning, according toCNN.
The on-scene hazmat team leader addressed the explosion risk at the press conference, saying there’s “about a 36-hour window,” which lasts until “sometime tomorrow morning.”
Fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.City of Winston-Salem/Facebook
“I think the good news is we got through the night safely. Now we move into the next phase of it,” Winston-Salem MayorAllen Joinessaid during the Tuesday morning press conference. “We have to be very concerned about noxious air and fumes moving out of the site going forward.”
Fire officials noted that the situation is being continuously monitored, but that as of Tuesday morning, “we are not at an immediately dangerous-to-life threshold.”
“Classes, as well as academic and other planned outdoor activities, are canceled today,” the school wrote in analertissued on Tuesday.
“Students on campus or living outside of the one-mile radius are encouraged to stay indoors and keep their windows closed. Please remember to wear face masks when in campus buildings. Expect smoky conditions. Masks are recommended outdoors,” they wrote, noting that the evacuation order is currently in place until Wednesday around 11 p.m.
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The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to authorities.
During the press conference, fire officials said that the fertilizer plant was last inspected in 2021, and that no violations had been found.
Winston Weaver Co. did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
