
Firefighters battled a blaze at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on January 31, 2022. (Photo: Winston-Salem Fire Department/Twitter/screenshot)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Firefighters battled a blaze at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on January 31, 2022. (Photo: Winston-Salem Fire Department/Twitter/screenshot)
Thousands of residents who live within a one-mile radius of a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina were ordered to immediately evacuate after a fire broke out at the facility Monday night.
Although firefighters initially battled the blaze at the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant, located at 4440 N. Cherry St., the crews were pulled back after about an hour and a half due to the explosion risk, Fire Chief Trey Mayo said during a Tuesday morning press conference.
The plant has on-site an estimated 5,000 tons of finished fertilizer and 500 tons of ammonium nitrate, Mayo explained. That is several times the amount of the ammonium nitrate that was at a West, Texas plant in 2013 when an explosion killed 15 people and injured scores of others.
Nearly 6,500 residents live in almost 2,500 households within the evacuation zone, according to the city.
\u201cOur hearts go out to anyone affected by the Weaver fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem. There is a one mile radius evacuation zone around the plant. Stay up-to-date with this story at https://t.co/gclOJmXQiI\nUPDATES \u27a1 https://t.co/sYMftpa5Gn\n\n\ud83c\udfa5: Our friends at @wyffnews4\u201d— WXII 12 News (@WXII 12 News) 1643729858
North Carolina Department of Public Safety spokesperson John Bull told CNN about 220 inmates from nearby Forsyth Correctional Center were moved to the minimum-security Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville.
Wake Forest University--which has one on-campus housing unit in the evacuation zone--canceled classes Tuesday and urged faculty, staff, and students who live within a mile of the plant to leave the area until at least late Wednesday, when authorities are expected to reassess the conditions.
WXII 12Â reports the Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection (FCEAP) is monitoring the fire and warned of air quality concerns:
Officials with FCEAP said a smoke plume from the fire will continue to drift southwest throughout the day Tuesday and is anticipated to impact local air quality across an area to the northwest of downtown Winston-Salem near Wake Forest University.
FCEAP recommends avoiding outdoor activity in and near the smoke plume, especially children, and adults with respiratory illness and/or asthma.
Asked about the potential cause of the fire early Tuesday, Mayo told reporters that "we are not anywhere near that point in the event."
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Thousands of residents who live within a one-mile radius of a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina were ordered to immediately evacuate after a fire broke out at the facility Monday night.
Although firefighters initially battled the blaze at the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant, located at 4440 N. Cherry St., the crews were pulled back after about an hour and a half due to the explosion risk, Fire Chief Trey Mayo said during a Tuesday morning press conference.
The plant has on-site an estimated 5,000 tons of finished fertilizer and 500 tons of ammonium nitrate, Mayo explained. That is several times the amount of the ammonium nitrate that was at a West, Texas plant in 2013 when an explosion killed 15 people and injured scores of others.
Nearly 6,500 residents live in almost 2,500 households within the evacuation zone, according to the city.
\u201cOur hearts go out to anyone affected by the Weaver fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem. There is a one mile radius evacuation zone around the plant. Stay up-to-date with this story at https://t.co/gclOJmXQiI\nUPDATES \u27a1 https://t.co/sYMftpa5Gn\n\n\ud83c\udfa5: Our friends at @wyffnews4\u201d— WXII 12 News (@WXII 12 News) 1643729858
North Carolina Department of Public Safety spokesperson John Bull told CNN about 220 inmates from nearby Forsyth Correctional Center were moved to the minimum-security Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville.
Wake Forest University--which has one on-campus housing unit in the evacuation zone--canceled classes Tuesday and urged faculty, staff, and students who live within a mile of the plant to leave the area until at least late Wednesday, when authorities are expected to reassess the conditions.
WXII 12Â reports the Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection (FCEAP) is monitoring the fire and warned of air quality concerns:
Officials with FCEAP said a smoke plume from the fire will continue to drift southwest throughout the day Tuesday and is anticipated to impact local air quality across an area to the northwest of downtown Winston-Salem near Wake Forest University.
FCEAP recommends avoiding outdoor activity in and near the smoke plume, especially children, and adults with respiratory illness and/or asthma.
Asked about the potential cause of the fire early Tuesday, Mayo told reporters that "we are not anywhere near that point in the event."
Thousands of residents who live within a one-mile radius of a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina were ordered to immediately evacuate after a fire broke out at the facility Monday night.
Although firefighters initially battled the blaze at the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant, located at 4440 N. Cherry St., the crews were pulled back after about an hour and a half due to the explosion risk, Fire Chief Trey Mayo said during a Tuesday morning press conference.
The plant has on-site an estimated 5,000 tons of finished fertilizer and 500 tons of ammonium nitrate, Mayo explained. That is several times the amount of the ammonium nitrate that was at a West, Texas plant in 2013 when an explosion killed 15 people and injured scores of others.
Nearly 6,500 residents live in almost 2,500 households within the evacuation zone, according to the city.
\u201cOur hearts go out to anyone affected by the Weaver fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem. There is a one mile radius evacuation zone around the plant. Stay up-to-date with this story at https://t.co/gclOJmXQiI\nUPDATES \u27a1 https://t.co/sYMftpa5Gn\n\n\ud83c\udfa5: Our friends at @wyffnews4\u201d— WXII 12 News (@WXII 12 News) 1643729858
North Carolina Department of Public Safety spokesperson John Bull told CNN about 220 inmates from nearby Forsyth Correctional Center were moved to the minimum-security Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville.
Wake Forest University--which has one on-campus housing unit in the evacuation zone--canceled classes Tuesday and urged faculty, staff, and students who live within a mile of the plant to leave the area until at least late Wednesday, when authorities are expected to reassess the conditions.
WXII 12Â reports the Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection (FCEAP) is monitoring the fire and warned of air quality concerns:
Officials with FCEAP said a smoke plume from the fire will continue to drift southwest throughout the day Tuesday and is anticipated to impact local air quality across an area to the northwest of downtown Winston-Salem near Wake Forest University.
FCEAP recommends avoiding outdoor activity in and near the smoke plume, especially children, and adults with respiratory illness and/or asthma.
Asked about the potential cause of the fire early Tuesday, Mayo told reporters that "we are not anywhere near that point in the event."