Fire Today At Georgia Pacific's Closed Plywood Plant

[Chadeaux]

Workers were supposed to be dismantling the closed plant when a cutting torch started a fire which lead to several explosions. I even have some video of huge pieces falling from the sky.

I work about 1 mile south of the plant, and our lawn is covered with debris from the plant's tank insulation etc.

Here's a picture of one of the pieces that traveled more than a mile in the air today --- the "dot" is a zincoln (once again, it's useful for scale!)



For a while, they were thinking they might have to evacuate the town because it looked like the fire would spread to the GP Chemical Division plant a couple hundred yards away.

I took a few pics on the way home. I couldn't get close for pics, these are from about 1/2 mile away:





I closed up early because both my coworker and myself were getting sore throats from the fumes that were coming into the store. On the way home I snapped this picture from about two miles away.



For a while they thought they were going to have to evacuate the town because of the toxic fumes and the continuing explosions, but things seem to have quieted down for a while.

 

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[WannaDig3687]

That's intense! According to the news I found, everyone's alright. Is that correct? I pray it is so.

 

[Chadeaux]

They say the fire is out, but still thick smoke coming from the site. Toxic fumes still coming from the site (Toluene isn't very nice stuff for the lungs when it's burned) nor are some types of insulation or Oriented Strand Board like they made at this plant.

I'm glad a front came through last evening and we've had a steady northerly breeze which kept the fumes away from North Crossett where I live.

Here's a bit of video I shot ... while at work, about a mile away from the fire.

 

[scruggs]

Glad the fire is out and hope the smoke is totally gone soon.

 

[Gold Maven]

makes me wonder why a plywood plant is closing, bought some plywood the other day that was made over seas...wtf

 

[Chadeaux]

makes me wonder why a plywood plant is closing, bought some plywood the other day that was made over seas...wtf

I would give a full answer, but much of what I would say would cause the thread to be moved to the political forum.

Let's just say that this is the second of two large GP plywood mills that have closed in south Arkansas in the last 5 years. Much of it has to do with busting the unions, but there are tax write offs to consider as well as political payback.

 

[ronwoodcraft]

Over the years I have witnessed quite a few plywood and lumber mills shut down in the Pacific Northwest. Always thought it was suspicious how a lot of them burned down completely while being dismantled. Sometimes before they even started tearing them down.

 

[kcm]

Chadeaux, about how heavy is that piece with the zincoin on it?

Only fire I've seen that was really HUGE was down in the Baytown area - refinery fire. We were about a mile back in the long line of fire trucks on scene in case they were needed. ...Back in the late 80's, I believe.

Glad ya'll got out of there and out of those fumes. Keep an eye in that wind direction for the next few days!

 

[RGINN]

Man, I hope everyone's ok. And you'd think with all the hurricanes that lumber mills would be doin a booming business. I know the price of lumber went up here.

 

[USMC Reaper]

Toluene is some nasty stuff, especially the tri nitro type. (TNT)