6,000 Urged to Evacuate after Fire at NC Fertilizer Plant

Residents in the city within a mile of the site including some students at Wake Forest University were urged to evacuate as the threat for an explosion of ammonium nitrate.

Six-thousand people have been urged to evacuate after a fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina broke out overnight.  During a news conference  Tuesday morning, Winston-Salem fire department battalion chief Patrick Grubbs said ‘right now. The fire is still active, and there’s still potential for explosion. Residents in the city within a mile of the site including some students at Wake Forest University were urged to evacuate as the threat for an explosion of ammonium nitrate is ongoing. The fire began last night at the weaver plant and after battling it for two hours, the fire department pulled back its crews after fire spread to a rail car on site containing the ammonium nitrate, causing the risk of explosion. An unmanned truck remains at the back of the building spraying water on the fire and the department is accessing the scene every 15 to 20 minutes using drones.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.