![]() Why some plants aren’t required to have sprinklersįirefighters arrived at the Winston Weaver plant on the evening of Jan. Sprinkler systems are required in the current state fire code, Mayo said, but when the building was built, sprinklers were not required.“It’s sort of on the front page right now, everybody’s thinking about it, so it might be a good time for somebody to take the initiative to say, ‘alright, let’s see what we can do to make improvement,’” he said. ![]() "Right now it is operating legally, and there is really no legal way we could force them to move." It's not something that just moved in," Joines said. "This company has been there for 75 years. "I don't even think there was a fire code when this building was constructed," he said.ĭuring Wednesday afternoon's press conference, reporters questioned Joines why the fertilizer plant was allowed in the community in the first place, citing concerns from neighbors who have wanted the plant out of the area for decades. Mayo did say that the site was not equipped with the proper sprinkler systems because parts of the building are more than 80 years old. The facility is inspected by the fire department yearly, Mayo said, and during the last inspection in December no violations of the state fire code were found. Officials said they are not sure yet what caused the fire. On Tuesday, a hazardous materials expert at the scene said the impact of burning ammonium nitrate would be "more of an irritant" to the body, or something that could cause a rash, as opposed to causing severe illness or death.Ĭredit: City of Winston-Salem Investigators looking into cause of fire at Winston-Salem fertilizer plant "It causes everything around it to burn," Mayo said. It also accelerates the burning of combustible material. The chemical dissolves in water and does not readily burn, but will if mixed with combustible material. Ammonium nitrate in the air can irritate lungs, skinĪccording to the National Institutes of Health, ammonium nitrate is used to make fertilizers and explosives. ![]() ![]() Officials said they no longer thought that the fire was going to reach the rail car filled with explosive chemicals, but were continuing to monitor the area just in case. At that point, all crews were pulled back for their safety. The fire has not shown any signs of improvement, Mayo said, but he was hopeful that rain forecast for Thursday and Friday could help diminish the fire at Winston Weaver Co.Ĭonditions were too unpredictable and dangerous for residents who live within a mile of the plant to return home, Mayo said, emphasizing that an explosion was still possible at any time.įirefighters battled the flames for two hours Monday night before the heat from the fire got too close to a rail car filled with ammonium nitrate, according to Winston-Salem Battalion Chief Patrick Grubbs. On Wednesday, Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo said people who live within a one-mile radius of the massive, long-burning fertilizer plant fire should stay away for their own safety until at least Thursday. ![]() Crews will have a more detailed update on the fire and explosion risk once daylight breaks.Ī team of 12 people from different agencies is currently conducting interviews among staff and reviewing video footage to try and learn what happened. However, the rain has pushed the smoke lower to the ground, increasing the health hazard for everyone, especially those with respiratory issues.Īlso due to the rain, drones were not allowed to fly over the site overnight, McIntyre said. Rain fell overnight, which cooled the area and helped reduce the fire, according to Rick McIntyre, lead investigator with the Winston-Salem Fire Department. ![]()
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