BRUNSWICK, Ga. — RELATED: Evacuation orders lifted for areas surrounding Symrise Plant fire in Brunswick; fire almost completely out
Firefighters and hazmat crews are on the scene of an explosion at the Symrise chemical plant in Brunswick Friday morning. The plant has been evacuated. A one-mile evacuation zone has been ordered in the area and a three-mile shelter in place radius has been enacted, Glynn County Communication Director Katie Baasen told First Coast News. The fire has been contained, she said, adding that it's still a "big fire."
Evacuation orders for some areas were lifted just after noon Friday.
A firefighter has been injured and there is a possibility of more explosion, Bassen said.
The Symrise Plant, 209 Scm Road, is a global supplier of fragrances, flavors, food, nutrition and cosmetic ingredients, according to its website. Its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and producers of nutritional supplements and pet food, its website states.
During an 11 a.m. news conference, fire officials said the call came in at 4 a.m. Six employees were in the facility when the explosion occurred. None of them were injured, fire officials said, adding that there were a total of three explosions in the plant.
The chemical at the plant that continued burning Monday afternoon is called hydrogen peroxide pinene. It is the main chemical used in fragrances. Authorities said they're continuing to monitor the air.
No civilians have been injured, fire officials said. The cause of the fire and explosion were not known during the news conference.
A shelter was opened for the about 100 households that were evacuated.
Glynn County authorities released the following statement just after 9 a.m.
A fire has broken out at the Symrise production site Colonel Island. The production facility manufactures fragrance ingredients. Given first estimates, no one got injured and there is no danger to employees or residents. Local fire brigades and police fully control the situation on site. The fire broke out during the early morning hours. The reason still needs to be investigated. Firefighters, police, and local authorities promptly arrived at the scene of the incident. As a preventive measure, they have evacuated the property and the neighborhood in a one-mile radius. The fire occurred during the regular production hours for the manufacture of fragrance ingredients. Currently Symrise has no reason to believe that the fire will cause additional health hazards to the local community. Symrise will closely cooperate and support local authorities in analyzing the causes for the fire as soon as the authorities allow return to the area.
