People living in the vicinity of a fertilizer business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina were ordered to evacuate
After hours spent battling a blaze at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina, firefighters warned on Tuesday that the facility could explode at any moment due to the large quantities of ammonium nitrate stored on site. The fire has also produced a significant amount of smoke and fumes, which pose a serious health hazard if inhaled.
Residents within a one-mile radius of the plant were told to immediately evacuate. An estimated 6,000 to 6,500 people live in the affected area of Winston-Salem, according to local news outlets.
The fire broke out on Monday evening at around 8pm local time. City authorities confirmed that several small explosions were heard at the Weaver Fertilizer Plant as the flames spread.
INCIDENT ALERT – Structure fire 2400 Block of Cherry Street. Fire attack in progress. #WSFire .107 pic.twitter.com/54NOgxJZxs
— Winston-Salem FD (@cityofwsfire) February 1, 2022
The plant building collapsed as the blaze spread out of control. Fire teams had to be pulled back from the facility because they had no safe way to prevent the heat from reaching the stockpiles of the explosive chemical, which amount to anywhere between 300 and 600 tons, according to firefighting officials.
INCIDENT UPDATE – Structure fire 4440 N. Cherry St. Fire attach still in progress. No injuries. #WSFire .107 pic.twitter.com/ZYSn91dRiR
— Winston-Salem FD (@cityofwsfire) February 1, 2022
“We fought the fire for two hours and the fire extended into a rail car behind the structure. Once the rail car became involved, we were unable to get water to the location,” Battalion Chief Patrick Grubbs told the local Fox affiliate.
#WSSU be safe it’s a big fire in WINSTON ?? pic.twitter.com/vXXcFVVQHC
— DJ DREW ?? (@DjDrew_NC) February 1, 2022
Crews were driving through the evacuation area throughout the night, urging local residents to leave immediately, and the city has opened a temporary shelter for those who have nowhere else to go. No injuries have been reported amid the emergency.
Authorities also relocated inmates from the Forsyth Correctional Facility, which is located within the blast threat zone, to an alternative location. The hazard is expected to persist for at least 48 hours.
As of Tuesday morning, firefighters were more optimistic about the chances of securing the ammonium nitrate. As they pulled out, fire crews left behind an unmanned truck hooked up to a hydrant to pump water onto the smoldering ruins of the plant to keep temperatures down.
source: RT
Împotriva articolelor redacției noastre, persoanele nemulțumite pot formula Contestație în termen de 10 zile de la publicarea articolului, la judecătoria Orășenească nr. 1 München Bayern Deutschland, in conformitate cu Legea federală Germană. Considerăm că nu se pot formula acțiuni la instanțele din România deoarece nici o persoană care activează în trustul nostru nu poate fi extrasă de sub jurisdicția federală germană. Considerăm că redacția noastră nu răspunde în fața autorităților din România ci doar celor federale sau civile germane. deoarece legea română nu are efecte de extraneitate asupra redacției chiar dacă subiectul știrilor face obiectul unor evenimente sau persoane din România și sunt scrise în limba română. Limba română nu este izvor de extraneitate a legii.
