Our World

Plant Fire's Chemical Cloud

A hazardous materials plant fire, forced thousands of people to evacuate a North Carolina town, Friday in fear of hazardous fumes, but initial air quality tests found nothing alarming, according to state environmental officials. By late Friday morning the town of Apex was still covered by a smoky haze. The rain should help scrub the air of impurities, officials said, after several explosions and a blaze at the Environmental Quality Industrial Services plant sent a gas cloud over downtown. At a news conference, Mayor Keith Weatherly said the fire continues to burn at the plant and a building there has collapsed. He said that experts were determining the extent of "potential hazard" from chemicals on site. No major injuries have been reported. Weatherly said 13 police officers who were treated at hospitals were released and expected to be back on duty immediately. Weatherly said he had "a conversation with officials at the Division of Air Quality about the rain. Its the best thing for us, it scrubs the air," the mayor said, "That plume that was moving around may not be issue any longer, so that is very good news."

posted by Anonymous @ 10/06/2006 12:54:00 PM