A chemical plant in Georgia caught fire early Monday, causing authorities to evacuate nearby neighborhoods.
The fire broke out around 4 a.m. local time on Monday in the port city of Brunswick, Georgia, sending large plumes of toxic smoke into the air. Emergency responders have evacuated neighborhoods in a one-mile radius and ordered neighborhoods in a three-mile radius to shelter in place.
Authorities are primarily concerned with toxic smoke, fearing it may drift into populated areas; however, officials are not ruling out the possibility of an explosion.
The few employees who were working at the plant during the early shift successfully evacuated moments after the fire erupted.
According to Fire Captain Eric Proswimmer, firefighters were forced to retreat from the area after three metal containers filled with chemicals exploded. Proswimmer also told local media that firefighters exhausted the more than one million gallons of water stored on site, which will make fighting the fire more difficult when operations resume.
One firefighter has been sent to the hospital and is being treated for exhaustion. No other injuries have been reported.
Plant operator Symrise said in a statement that the cause of the fire is unknown but that there is “no reason to believe that the fire will cause additional health hazards to the local community.”
A full investigation into the fire’s cause will take place after the blaze is extinguished, Proswimmer has indicated.