Fire threatens feed mill, residents and businesses evacuated
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on August 2, 2018 5:50 AM
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Tanker trucks empty water into drop tanks set up at the intersection of Broadhurst Road and U.S. 117 Alternate Wednesday, providing water to help firefighters keep propane tanks around the fire cool and to prevent explosions.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Firefighters walk toward the command post set up in front of Southeastern Grain Co. to help with manpower.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Trucks from nearly 20 fire departments from Duplin, Wayne and Sampson counties line up on Broadhurst Road as they wait to dump water into tanks set up a safe distance from the fire.
MOUNT OLIVE -- Firefighters from three counties responded to a fire and gas leak at a Duplin County feed mill along U.S. 117 Alternate Wednesday afternoon that resulted in residents and business owners being evacuated within a one-mile radius of the Southeastern Grain Co.
Firefighters with the Calypso Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the scene, at 770 U.S. 117 Alternate, south of Mount Olive, just after noon, according to the Duplin County Emergency Management Services.
When they arrived, crews found fire coming from a propane tank, which was adjacent to and endangering several other tanks. Residents and business owners were quickly evacuated until the propane tanks could be shut off as a precaution against an explosion.
The firefighters, which were assisted by multiple fire departments including several from Wayne County, responded to the site and worked to control the fire. The potential for a more widespread fire, due to the proximity of other propane fuel containers, resulted in firefighters from a three-county area responding to the scene. At least 20 fire departments were involved in the emergency response effort.
Tankers from as far away as Nahunta, Patetown and Elroy were activated to set up a series of fast-dump water tanks near Broadhurst Road.
Fire departments from Calypso, Faison, Mount Olive, Pleasant Grove, Oak Wolfe, Smith's Chapel, Pricetown, Dudley, and Jordan's Chapel, along with Wayne County's tanker task force, comprised of departments from Nahunta, Oakland, Elroy and Patetown, worked the scene.
They were aided by Duplin County EMS, the Duplin County fire marshal, Duplin County Sheriff's Office, Duplin County emergency management, Duplin County communications, the N.C. Department of Transportation and N.C. Highway Patrol.
The Warsaw and Kenansville fire departments staged on the northern end of Duplin County to provide fire coverage during the event. Firefighters from Sampson County were also called in to assist.
By 4:30 p.m., the fire had been extinguished and the evacuation was lifted, according to Duplin County Emergency Management Services. No injuries have been reported from the incident.