Massive fire in North Carolina fertilizer plant may cause explosion, thousands asked to evacuate

North Carolina officials are asking thousands of residents to evacuate on Tuesday after a massive fire at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem could cause a large explosion. 

“The evacuation area around 4440 North Cherry Street has almost 6500 residents or 2,497 households,” tweeted the city of Winston-Salem. 

The evacuation area around 4440 North Cherry Street has almost 6500 residents or 2,497 households. #MapForsyth#CityofWSFire pic.twitter.com/h1DcwA1YDk

— City of Winston-Salem, NC (@CityofWS) February 1, 2022

The fire started on Monday evening at the Weaver Co. fertilizer plant. Firefighters fought the raging fire for two hours before it "began affecting a rail car" and became “became an explosive hazard,” Battalion Chief Patrick Grubbs of the Winston-Salem Fire Department said. 

Firefighters had to pull out of the operation due to a large amount of ammonium nitrate in the plant, which could explode at any moment. 

According to Fire Chief William “Trey” Mayo, the plant has three times more ammonium nitrate than the plant in Texas that exploded and killed 15 people in 2013.

As a result of the fire, the building collapsed, restricting access to the product inside the building. In addition, firefighters could not get enough water flow to ensure that it would keep the affected area cool enough to prevent a detonation. 

Emergency Management is currently accessing the scene every 15-20 minutes using drone teams from other departments to try to quell the fire.

Firefighters began to evacuate homes within a mile radius of the plant. The evacuation included a minimum-security prison and parts of Wake Forest University’s campus. 

The city opened an evacuation center in the Education Building at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. People who have been evacuated should stay away from their homes for up to 48 hours, said city authorities. 

"Don’t wait for something to happen. Something has happened," Chief Mayo said on Twitter. "Now is the time to get out."

Please evacuate the one mile radius around 4440 North Cherry Street. Plan to be away from your home for up to 48 hours. Evacuation location 414 Deacon Blvd-The Education Building at the Fairgrounds. #cityofws #weaverfirews pic.twitter.com/BjncTqRBXz

— Winston-Salem PD (@cityofwspolice) February 1, 2022

The fertilizer plant was closed when the fire started, and no employees were inside. The Weaver Fertilizer plant has not commented on the fire.