'Major fire' at Chester SC industrial plant could burn into the night, officials say

Aug. 24--CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. -- Chester County, SC

A fire continued to burn Monday afternoon at an industrial plant in Chester County, emergency officials said.

What Chester County Emergency Management director Eddie Murphy described as a "major fire" was being fought at the Carolina Poly plant on S.C. 9. The fire started before dawn Monday, Murphy said.

The plant is east of the city of Chester and west of Interstate 77. The area is about 10 miles south of York County, between Rock Hill and Columbia.

Smoke could be seen for miles, officials said. Murphy said officials also were determining what environmental impact the fire and smoke might have.

Officials from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and other South Carolina state agencies had been notified, Murphy said. Before noon Monday, DHEC advised people who live or work nearby to stay away from the smoke, according to a written release.

"Odor is a primary indication that individuals need to move away from the vicinity of the fire," said Rhonda Thompson, DHEC director of air quality. "For anyone near the industrial fire who can smell smoke or notice an odor that is not normally present, we recommend you temporarily leave the area."

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According to the statement from DHEC, the chemical content of smoke varies depending on what is being burned.

Smoke is made up mostly of particles, and no matter what's burning, the small particles in smoke aren't healthy to breathe, DHEC officials stated. While larger particles are filtered out by the nose and upper respiratory tract, small particles can enter the lungs. People with pre-existing lung or heart disease are at higher risk for developing symptoms from breathing in smoke particles, DHEC said in the statement.

Fire departments from as far as Gaffney had responded, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the Chester County Sheriff's Office. Ten state and county agencies were onsite with 60-70 personnel working to control the blaze and make safety decisions.

As of 12:58 p.m., Suskin told the Herald that five firefighters had been taken to the hospital -- four with heat-related injuries and one with a foot injury.

"At this time, we recommend all those who live nearby stay inside," a news release from the Chester County Sheriff's Department said. There is no immediate hazard to the area, the release said, but the sheriff's department is continuing to analyze the situation.

The direction of smoke can change quickly depending on wind direction and speed, DHEC officials said.

The fire was outside the plant, and as of 2 p.m. had not impacted the building, said Ed Darby, Chester County Emergency Management Deputy Director.

"We are still at a point where firefighters are working to contain the fire," Darby said. "We have not put the fire out. Because of the stubbornness of the fire, it's a matter of containment right now."

Darby said fire and emergency officials expect to work the scene through Monday night into Tuesday.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Water runoff and air quality testing and monitoring has been ordered by EPA and DHEC, Darby said. That testing by a contractor will continue through Monday night into Tuesday.

The building was evacuated as fire crews worked, Suskin said.

The fire involved wooden pallets, plastics on materials and pallets, trailers, and other materials such as tires on the trailers, Suskin said. Darby, of emergency management, said there also was some oil in drums involved in the fire.

The S.C. Forestry Commission also is on the scene working to establish a fire break in nearby woods to keep the fire from spreading, Suskin said.

Murphy said Monday's fire Monday may be as large, or larger, than a fire at an industrial plant in Texas last week. That fire was in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas.

Carolina Poly Inc. produces trash bags, plastic sheeting, shrink films and other products. Part of Poly-America, one of the largest polyethylene film manufacturers in the U.S., Carolina Poly announced in 2015 a $100 million investment in Chester County. The 500-square-foot facility at 1580 Lancaster Highway began production in 2017.

The Texas fire last week was at a Poly-America facility, according to USA today, and other news reports.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

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