Emergency responders safely evacuated a handful of employees who were working when the fire broke out about 4 a.m. at the plant outside the Port of Brunswick, said Fire Capt. Eric Prosswimmer, who was at the scene with fire crews from Jacksonville, Fla., dispatched to assist. fight the flames. Residents living within a mile radius of the plant remained under evacuation orders Monday afternoon, more than 12 hours after the fire began. However, Prosswimmer said firefighters are making significant progress against the blaze. “Most of the fire is out,” Proswimmer said late Monday afternoon, adding that he hopes people won’t have to spend the night away from home. “Once we believe it is safe, then they will lift the evacuations,” he said. The fire sent a large plume of thick smoke into the air from the plant about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Savannah. The smoke died down for a few hours late Monday morning and then flared up again for a brief period in the afternoon – forcing firefighters to retreat until it subsided. Wayne Neal, chairman of the elected Glynn County Board of Commissioners, estimated that about 100 households had been told to evacuate. Law enforcement officers were using patrol cars to block off entrances to the affected neighborhoods. In addition to the evacuations, people within a 3-mile (5 km) radius were told to evacuate. Officials said they are mostly concerned about the dangers of smoke drifting into residential areas. There were also explosions at the scene. Prosswimmer said the heat from the fire had caused three metal tanks containing chemicals to explode. Fighting the fire was further complicated when firefighters used up more than 1 million gallons (3.8 million liters) of water stored in tanks at the site. Tankers filled with water were brought to the scene, where firefighters also used foam to fight the flames. Prosswimmer said one firefighter suffering from exhaustion was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition. There were no other injuries. The plant is operated by Symrise, a German company that produces perfumes, fragrances and other ingredients for food and cosmetics. The Georgia plant makes fragrance ingredients used in perfumes, detergents and household cleaners, said Smyrise spokeswoman Christina Witter. The company said in a statement Monday that the cause of the fire was not known. “At this time, Symrise has no reason to believe that the fire will cause additional health risks to the local community,” the statement said. “Symrise will work closely with and support local authorities in analyzing the cause of the fire once the authorities allow a return to the area.” Prosswimmer said an investigation will be conducted after the fire is extinguished. ——— An earlier version of this report misspelled Capt.’s last name. Eric Prosswimmer.
