Local residents near the Pinova chemical plant in Brunswick, Georgia were forced to evacuate Saturday afternoon after a massive explosion caused a huge fireball. Authorities quickly issued a shelter-in-place order for anyone within a mile radius of the facility before evacuating the area, while firefighters from multiple brigades battled the massive blaze with the assistance of other emergency services.
The Pinova facility is believed to be involved in the manufacture of adhesive materials and everyday food products. In response to the explosion, Glynn County authorities urgently advised all personnel within a half-mile radius of Pinova Solutions to evacuate the area immediately. Meanwhile, all Glynn County personnel were instructed to shelter in place until further notice.
“All personnel within a half mile of Pinova Solutions should evacuate the area immediately,” authorities previously advised. “All Glynn County personnel are advised to shelter in place until further notice.”
🚨#BREAKING: A shelter-in-place has been issued within a half-mile radius after a large fire at a chemical plant
📌#Brunswick | #Georgia
There has been a large chemical plant fire at the Pinova Chemical Plant in Brunswick, Georgia. Emergency officials have issued a shelter-in-place order… pic.twitter.com/nCgIt4orRB
— RAWSALERTS (@rawsalerts) April 15, 2023
According to the board of commissioners, the Jacksonville Fire Department arrived for backup and firefighters brought the fire under control.
Earlier this week, there was a large fire at a recycling plant in Richmond, Indiana. The fire was extinguished, but hundreds of residents remained evacuated from their homes as officials monitored the air for possible chemical hazards, officials said.
Since Tuesday, when the massive inferno broke out at the plastic-filled recycling plant, roughly 2,000 residents, or about 5.7 percent of Richmond’s population of 35,000, living within a half-mile radius of the plant were subjected to a mandatory evacuation order. Thick, black smoke billowing from the fire was deemed “definitely toxic” by officials, prompting the closure of Richmond Public Schools for several days.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been conducting air sampling and monitoring tests in the area to determine the safety of the air in the community.
“Unfortunately, we cannot provide an exact time when evacuation orders will be lifted. As air monitoring results come back from lab tests and our health experts can analyze them, we hope to be able to allow for residents to return to their homes,” Wayne County Emergency Management Agency officials said Saturday.
Some debris samples from the area tested positive for asbestos-containing materials, Wayne County emergency officials said, citing preliminary tests from the EPA.
“Because all waste has the potential to contain asbestos, it is important that a trained professional remove all materials suspected of being from the fire,” emergency officials said.
Residents of Richmond, Indiana are raising concerns about potential health risks associated with particulate matter and harmful chemicals detected at the site of the recycling plant fire. Christine Stinson, the head of the Wayne County Health Department, has previously said the particles could cause respiratory problems if inhaled.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide, benzene, chlorine, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in the center of the fire zone. The EPA confirmed this on Friday, noting that these chemicals were not detected outside the evacuation zone. In addition, VOCs were found in six air samples, although the agency did not specify where those samples were taken.
The presence of particles, as expected, was also confirmed both inside and outside the half-mile evacuation zone, the EPA reports. This has raised concerns among residents about the potential health impacts of exposure to these hazardous substances.
As the situation continues to be monitored, residents are advised to follow the directions of local authorities and health officials and to take necessary precautions to protect their health, such as avoiding outdoor activities in affected areas and follow any evacuation orders or warnings that may be issued. .
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