A massive chemical fire in an industrial area of Marietta on Industrial Park Drive near Cobb Parkway burned for 10 hours before fire crews were finally able to put it out early Saturday morning, reports 11 Alive Atlanta.
Crews stayed at the scene with ladder trucks in the air to keep water on the warehouse and check for hot spots.
According to Officer David Baldwin from the Marietta Police Department, a patrolling officer saw the building on fire. By the times crews arrived, the building was fully engulfed. Explosions could be seen and heard coming from the fire.
Baldwin said the building is owned by Amrep, a chemical company. According to Baldwin, no toxic fumes are involved in the blaze, and it is not being treated as such at this point.
The EPA was at the scene testing the smoke as a precaution.
A nearby business was damaged because of the heat, but police said they won’t know how bad the damage is until the entire thing cools off.
They do expect other businesses in the area to reopen Saturday, and the roads around it have also reopened.
Anthony Prater, an employee at Amrep, was at the plant when the fire began. He sound he heard several loud booms and then the fire alarm went off. He said the company makes aerosol products, but he wasn’t sure where the fire started. He said that safety drills had prepared workers on how to evacuate.
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