A fertilizer plant with hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, caught fire, forcing over 6,500 people to flee their homes.
The fire at Weaver Fertilizer Plant on North Cherry Street began Monday night. Authorities urged residents within one mile of the plant to evacuate and stay away from their homes for up to 48 hours, according to a report by Reuters.
According to Winston-Salem fire chief Trey Mayo, there was a large quantity of ammonium nitrate exposed to intense heat and can cause an explosion. The situation has prompted the firefighters to abandon the fire fighting operation.
An Extremely Dangerous Situation For Firefighters
Mayo estimates that the fertilizer facility contains around 300 to 600 tons of ammonium nitrate. He added that access to the product was restricted as the building had collapsed.
"We could not flow enough volume of water into the area where that ammonium nitrate is stored to be reasonably certain that we could keep it cool enough to prevent a detonation," the chief firefighter said.
On August 4, 2020, nearly 2,750 tonnes of incorrectly stored ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut's harbor, killing over 200 people, per Al Jazeera's report.
Around 2:00 a.m., as the risk of an explosion grew, the first batch of firefighters drove through the area, urging inhabitants to flee to safety.
"Don't wait for something to happen. Something has happened. Now is the time to get out," Mayo tweeted during that period.
Based on the press release of the Winston-Salem Police Department, the 4400 block of Cherry Street from North Point Boulevard to Indiana Avenue was closed, Emergency crews responded to the fire around 8:20 p.m., and the area remains closed.
Evacuation May Take Longer
Meanwhile, the administration of Wake Forest University released a statement advising some students in off-campus housing to leave their residences voluntarily.
"Because of a fire at 4440 N. Cherry Street, the Winston-Salem Fire Department is asking for voluntary evacuations by residents within a one-mile radius of that address. That includes off-campus housing north of Polo Road between Cherry Street and Long Drive," the statement reads, per NBC DFW.
However, those with on-campus housing are not included in the evacuation.
The university advised that anyone in the vicinity who can evacuate, whether faculty, employees, or students, should do so and stay with friends or family outside the one-mile radius if possible.
Wake Forest University has also started developing long-term plans for individuals who do not have another option, which will be announced at the soonest time possible.
Evacuated students and school personnel could stay in campus buildings such as Wellbeing Center, Benson University Center, and ZSR Library.
Evacuees may bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and blanket to be comfortable if the situation lasts longer. If the evacuation is in effect for several hours, evacuees may want to consider taking only their essential belongings.
Students on campus or residing outside the one-mile radius are advised to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.
Authorities also advise motorists to avoid the area. As of present writing, there were no injuries have been reported.