Post by Muffins on Dec 3, 2008 18:16:18 GMT -5
Mitchell County
SPRUCE PINE - One of Mitchell County’s major industries, the The Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Plant, suffered substantial damage in a fire at 10:50 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.
The fire engulfed the Unimin plant located off Hwy. 226 between Spruce Pine and Ledger. No injuries were reported, according to a press release from the company.
Containment of the fire was complete at 5 a.m., and Mitchell County Emergency Management Director Eric Wiseman said the cause has still not been determined. Major consequences of the fire did result as Hwy. 226 from Spruce Pine to Bakersville was closed from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m.
The Spruce Pine Fire Department is still working on the fire. Fire departments from Asheville, Avery County, Burke County, Cleveland County, McDowell County and Yancey County helped to contain the fire.
“I heard the emergency whistle around 11:30 p.m. and there was a constant barrage of ambulances and fire trucks arriving at the plant,” Spruce Pine Mayor Ralph Hise said. “The fire department is extensively involved in this process both in investigation and containing the fire. The fire itself is contained but they are still putting water on it to smolder the fire. Most fire departments were released to go home.”
County residents within a 4 mile radius north of the plant, were asked to evacuate as the potential of the wind blowing hazardous chemicals from the fire were possibly dangerous.
Evacuation areas were set up in Spruce Pine at Grassy Creek Baptist Church and Bowman Middle School in Bakersville. Evacuees were allowed to return home shortly after 6 a.m.
“Basically as of (Sunday) morning the city of Spruce Pine is outside the evacuation area,” Hise said. “We had a lot of issues last night getting people in and out of the area that was evacuated, particularly at the Brian Center, but once they decided that the wind direction is pushing North, predominately Northeast, everything cleared up for the town of Spruce Pine.”
Emergency operations were set up on the south side near Spruce Pine and investigation by federal agencies are being conducted.
“I know that the ATF and FBI is coming in for an investigation,” Hise said. “Similar agencies that dealt with the fire that hit downtown Spruce Pine are also looking into it.”
From the Associated Press:
SPRUCE PINE - Residents of the Spruce Pine area returned to their homes Sunday morning after a plant fire forced them to leave in the early morning hours.
A dispatcher for the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office said residents were allowed to return home around 9:30 a.m.
The Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Plant in Spruce Pine suffered “substantial” damage in the fire, which started around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a company press release.
Plant manager Doug Myers said there were no injuries at the facility, which normally operates only on weekdays.
Officials told people who live within four miles of the plant to evacuate their homes because of the fire. Fire departments from six counties sent crews to help extinguish the blaze.
Officials said the fire appeared to be contained as of 5 a.m. but residents weren’t given the all clear to return home until later in the morning.
Myers said the cause of the fire has not been determined. He said the fire did not pose a danger to the surrounding area, but air quality tests were being conducted.
Spruce Pine is roughly 50 miles northeast of Asheville. The Unimin site, which includes the plant, a mine, laboratories and an office building, employs 92 people, according to a company press release. The plant itself employs 46 people.
From the Citizen-Times.com:
SPRUCE PINE - Residents are returning home this morning after they were ordered to evacuate late last night when fire broke out at the Unimin plant near Spruce Pine, according to dispatchers with Mitchell County emergency operations.
Highway 226 near the the Unimin plant near Spruce Pine remained closed until about 9 a.m. while firefighters were mopping up the fire.
The Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Plant suffered “substantial” damage in the fire, which started around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a company press release. Plant manager Doug Myers said there were no injuries at the facility, which normally operates only on weekdays.
Officials said the fire appeared to be contained as of 5 a.m.
Myers said the cause of the fire has not been determined. He said the fire did not pose a danger to the surrounding area, but air quality tests were being conducted.
Spruce Pine is roughly 50 miles northeast of Asheville. The Unimin site, which includes the plant, a mine, laboratories and an office building, employs 92 people, according to a company press release. The plant itself employs 46 people.
The Rev. Matt Mills, senior pastor of Grassy Creek Baptist Church, got the call about 1:20 a.m. to open the church’s community life center for evacuees. Initially, the evacuation called for a 4-mile radius around the plant, but within a half-hour, officials narrowed the evacuation area to the four miles north off the plant where the wind could potentially blow any hazardous chemicals from the fire.
“We had about eight people show up at our church, but most people couldn’t get here (south of the incident). Most of them went to Bakersville, where I know they had over 80 people,” Mills said.
The people were allowed to return home shortly after 6 a.m., Mills said.
“This was something new for our church. Law enforcement called us because we have a full-scale commercial kitchen, but fortunately we didn’t have to use that,” Mills said. “Everyone was calm. We gave them coffee and snacks and we all waited.”
The plant, which mines quartz products, is located about two miles north of Spruce Pine on N.C. 226. The products are used in electronics in computers.
“It’s been a major fire,” Spruce Pine Mayor Ralph Hise said.
Fire departments from at least four counties, including Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Burke, responded to the blaze.
Residents on the Bakersville side of the blaze were told to evacuate to Bowman Middle School, and emergency operations were set up on the south side near Spruce Pine.
SPRUCE PINE - One of Mitchell County’s major industries, the The Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Plant, suffered substantial damage in a fire at 10:50 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.
The fire engulfed the Unimin plant located off Hwy. 226 between Spruce Pine and Ledger. No injuries were reported, according to a press release from the company.
Containment of the fire was complete at 5 a.m., and Mitchell County Emergency Management Director Eric Wiseman said the cause has still not been determined. Major consequences of the fire did result as Hwy. 226 from Spruce Pine to Bakersville was closed from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m.
The Spruce Pine Fire Department is still working on the fire. Fire departments from Asheville, Avery County, Burke County, Cleveland County, McDowell County and Yancey County helped to contain the fire.
“I heard the emergency whistle around 11:30 p.m. and there was a constant barrage of ambulances and fire trucks arriving at the plant,” Spruce Pine Mayor Ralph Hise said. “The fire department is extensively involved in this process both in investigation and containing the fire. The fire itself is contained but they are still putting water on it to smolder the fire. Most fire departments were released to go home.”
County residents within a 4 mile radius north of the plant, were asked to evacuate as the potential of the wind blowing hazardous chemicals from the fire were possibly dangerous.
Evacuation areas were set up in Spruce Pine at Grassy Creek Baptist Church and Bowman Middle School in Bakersville. Evacuees were allowed to return home shortly after 6 a.m.
“Basically as of (Sunday) morning the city of Spruce Pine is outside the evacuation area,” Hise said. “We had a lot of issues last night getting people in and out of the area that was evacuated, particularly at the Brian Center, but once they decided that the wind direction is pushing North, predominately Northeast, everything cleared up for the town of Spruce Pine.”
Emergency operations were set up on the south side near Spruce Pine and investigation by federal agencies are being conducted.
“I know that the ATF and FBI is coming in for an investigation,” Hise said. “Similar agencies that dealt with the fire that hit downtown Spruce Pine are also looking into it.”
From the Associated Press:
SPRUCE PINE - Residents of the Spruce Pine area returned to their homes Sunday morning after a plant fire forced them to leave in the early morning hours.
A dispatcher for the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office said residents were allowed to return home around 9:30 a.m.
The Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Plant in Spruce Pine suffered “substantial” damage in the fire, which started around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a company press release.
Plant manager Doug Myers said there were no injuries at the facility, which normally operates only on weekdays.
Officials told people who live within four miles of the plant to evacuate their homes because of the fire. Fire departments from six counties sent crews to help extinguish the blaze.
Officials said the fire appeared to be contained as of 5 a.m. but residents weren’t given the all clear to return home until later in the morning.
Myers said the cause of the fire has not been determined. He said the fire did not pose a danger to the surrounding area, but air quality tests were being conducted.
Spruce Pine is roughly 50 miles northeast of Asheville. The Unimin site, which includes the plant, a mine, laboratories and an office building, employs 92 people, according to a company press release. The plant itself employs 46 people.
From the Citizen-Times.com:
SPRUCE PINE - Residents are returning home this morning after they were ordered to evacuate late last night when fire broke out at the Unimin plant near Spruce Pine, according to dispatchers with Mitchell County emergency operations.
Highway 226 near the the Unimin plant near Spruce Pine remained closed until about 9 a.m. while firefighters were mopping up the fire.
The Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Plant suffered “substantial” damage in the fire, which started around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a company press release. Plant manager Doug Myers said there were no injuries at the facility, which normally operates only on weekdays.
Officials said the fire appeared to be contained as of 5 a.m.
Myers said the cause of the fire has not been determined. He said the fire did not pose a danger to the surrounding area, but air quality tests were being conducted.
Spruce Pine is roughly 50 miles northeast of Asheville. The Unimin site, which includes the plant, a mine, laboratories and an office building, employs 92 people, according to a company press release. The plant itself employs 46 people.
The Rev. Matt Mills, senior pastor of Grassy Creek Baptist Church, got the call about 1:20 a.m. to open the church’s community life center for evacuees. Initially, the evacuation called for a 4-mile radius around the plant, but within a half-hour, officials narrowed the evacuation area to the four miles north off the plant where the wind could potentially blow any hazardous chemicals from the fire.
“We had about eight people show up at our church, but most people couldn’t get here (south of the incident). Most of them went to Bakersville, where I know they had over 80 people,” Mills said.
The people were allowed to return home shortly after 6 a.m., Mills said.
“This was something new for our church. Law enforcement called us because we have a full-scale commercial kitchen, but fortunately we didn’t have to use that,” Mills said. “Everyone was calm. We gave them coffee and snacks and we all waited.”
The plant, which mines quartz products, is located about two miles north of Spruce Pine on N.C. 226. The products are used in electronics in computers.
“It’s been a major fire,” Spruce Pine Mayor Ralph Hise said.
Fire departments from at least four counties, including Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Burke, responded to the blaze.
Residents on the Bakersville side of the blaze were told to evacuate to Bowman Middle School, and emergency operations were set up on the south side near Spruce Pine.
