Global Courant 2023-04-16 07:44:02
A fire at a resin and rosin manufacturer in Brunswick, Georgia, reignited Saturday afternoon, sending a huge plume of smoke over the coastal area and prompting evacuations, officials said.
Mayor Cosby Johnson said a shelter order was in effect for the city. During an evening press conference, the mayor said he had declared a local state of emergency because of the fire.
The Glynn County Board of Commissioners also ordered people to evacuate within half a mile of the Pinova plant, which says it makes specialty rosin and polyterpene resin.
A fire at the Pinova factory in Brunswick, Georgia, caused a large plume of smoke on Saturday. Tyler Dykes
Officials cited the wind direction. They did not specify what outcomes were possible when exposed to the smoke.
The facility is about 70 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida.
The morning fire was reported to have been under control, but it flared up again around 3:10 a.m., Glynn County spokesman Katie Baasen said.
By evening, firefighters said the fire’s growth had been brought under control with the use of a foam extinguisher.
“We will continue these operations until the crime scene is fully under control,” Laurence Cargile, assistant chief of the Brunswick Fire Department, said at the news conference.
No injuries were reported and the cause has not yet been determined.
Pinova said flammable dust that can form from the polyterpene resin, used in waterproofing and as an adhesive, should not be touched, ingested or inhaled, and that prolonged exposure could lead to asthma.
Health officials say chemicals in epoxy resin may cause skin irritation and asthma. It’s not clear how burning them affects their effects. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before the fire flared up again, the board of commissioners said the state fire chief and the Environmental Protection Agency were on the scene.
The Jacksonville Fire Department played a key role in the firefight, sending a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft to drop liquid or fire retardant on the fire, the board said in an early evening update.
But the battle through the air is hampered by poor visibility caused by the smoke from the fire.
Georgia Forestry Commission spokesman Wendy Burnett said it sent a helicopter and two single-engine tankers, but those planes were grounded for now.
“We’ve made a few drops of water, but due to thick smoke and concerns for the safety of those on the ground, we’ve suspended the drops for now,” Burnett said.
On Tuesday, a plastic recycling plant in Richmond, Indiana went up in flames, spewing toxic chemicals into the air, officials said. The fire was extinguished on Thursday.
In November, a fire at the Symrise chemical plant outside Brunswick led to the evacuation of about 100 nearby homes over concerns about smoke and possible explosions, The Associated Press reported.
Rania Soetirto and Maya Brown contributed.
