Explosion and fire in Louisiana leads to elementary school being evacuated | Louisiana

An explosion and fire Friday in a car supply company in southeast Louisiana sent flames in the air and a thick black smoke tower heating up over rural communities, forcing the residents nearby and an elementary school to evacuate.

The officials said that no injury had been reported in the fire of Smitty just in the north of the city of Roseland, but that all those who live within a radius of a mile (1.6 km) must evacuate. Roseland, which houses around 1,100 people, is around 50 miles (80 km) northeast of red baton.

The president of the parish of Tangipahoa, Louisiana, Robby Miller said that it was a “bargain” that no one was injured.

“We do our best to protect people, structures and the environment,” Miller told journalists at a press conference on Friday afternoon, while crews reached their third hour to try to extinguish hell.

Little information was available on the fire. Miller said that civil servants were not yet sure of what had caused it, that there is a significant chemical risk or how long he can take firefighters to control the situation.

“We closely monitor this situation. Please follow the advice of your local officials, “published the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry,” we pray for everyone’s safety. “

The video of Louisiana News Outlet WBRz shows vibrant orange flames jumping in the air under a cloud of smoke and engulfing parts of the Smitty supply to Arcola, a small community not formed in society. Firefighters can be seen spray arcs of water in the fire.

According to the company’s website, Smitty’s Supply offers “high performance lubricants and automotive parts”, including oils, brake fluid, power steering fluid and antifigel. Miller said that around 400 people were employed on the property.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

In addition to the firefighters and the police, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were on the scene. Miller said that federal agencies were monitoring the situation “to determine and guide us on what to do”.

The school system of the parish of Tangipahoa published on its Facebook page that the internal security office had recommended the evacuation of a neighboring primary school. Buses were sent for the student shuttle to the school board office in a neighboring city.