According to officials and reports, a car crash on Saturday ignited a large fire at a fertilizer factory in southern Virginia, injuring fifteen firefighters and killing one person in the process.
The South Hill Volunteer Fire Department said on Facebook that the firemen who responded to the fire that broke out at the Nutrien Ag Solutions factory on West Danville Street at around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday sustained non-life-threatening injuries from heat fatigue, chemical exposure, scrapes, and burns.
One of the firefighters was admitted to the nearby hospital after the others were taken there. About ten miles north of the North Carolina border, in the hamlet of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, crews were still tackling hotspots on Sunday morning.
According to South Hill Police, the fire began when a woman driving a car wrecked at the warehouse. After the vehicle struck a power post, a propane tank burst, igniting flames inside the structure.
The Mecklenburg Sun of South Hill reported on Sunday that the woman involved in the incident passed away on Saturday, citing the town’s police chief.
Incident officials said on Sunday night that 156 firefighters and 74 units were on the site at the height of the incident.
“Extreme temperatures, high humidity, and a fire driven by a propane tank created a very dangerous situation,” South Hill fire officials stated.
Officials from the fire department advised everyone in the vicinity to leave on their own volition and requested others to stay indoors and seek shelter. The fire was put out by Saturday am, and everyone was free to return home.
Following the incident, runoff reached neighboring waterways, prompting the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to monitor the area and air quality, according to the fire department.
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“Cleanup will take weeks for our agencies and an extended period of time for the property,” the fire department stated.
