Residents Evacuate After Authorities Feared Fire Would Lead to Explosion

Residents from a small Washington town were evacuated after a factory fire sparked fears of a potential explosion. Last night, multiple local police and fire agencies responded to a fire that broke out at a potato plant in Warden. Due to the risk of the fire reaching an ammonia tank and causing a serious explosion, authorities issued a Level 3 evacuation order. That’s an immediate evacuation for all residents within a certain vicinity of the imminent danger. Law enforcement went door-to-door to notify those within that area, as well. Fortunately, that explosion never came and residents were allowed back into their homes by early this morning. So far, no injuries have been reported and the Red Cross is already helping to provide for those who were displaced by the event. While it’s unclear how many people were evacuated, the entire town holds approximately 2,800 residents. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.