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Hazardous gas, fire lead to evacuations in Apex
A late-night explosion at a hazardous waste plant in Apex forced the evacuation of more than 15,000 people.
APEX – More than half of the town of Apex, about 17,500 people, fled their homes Thursday night and early Friday after a chemical fire spewed a toxic cloud across the town, southwest of Raleigh.
Officials report at least 28 people have been treated for respiratory and other problems apparently caused by the blaze.
The fire at EQ Carolina, which stands for Environmental Quality, erupted about 10 p.m. Thursday and sent flames shooting 150 feet into the air.
The company disposes of hazardous materials, and the fire billowed plumes of smoke, laced with chlorine gas and potentially pesticides and other toxins.
Police and fire fighters retreated from the scene.
Ten police officers and a fire fighter were going through decontamination and being treated early this morning after complaining of nausea and respiratory difficulty. Another eight residents were treated for respiratory distress.
The flames also spread to a neighboring light oil company, igniting four oil tanks.
Officials in the town of 28,000 were most worried this morning about rain and shifting winds that could carry the fire’s plume into areas that hadn’t been affected earlier.
A cold front moving through the area is causing winds to switch from southwest to north and northeast.
“It’s not only moving, it ‘s somewhat expanding,†Apex Town Manager Bruce Radford said of the smoke plume.
Additional evacuations could follow, he said.
In a news conference this morning, Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly warned onlookers to stay away.
“People are going to want to come and sight-see,†Weatherly said. “They will either get terribly sick, or they will be arrested. No questions asked.â€
Town leaders evacuated a 1-mile radius around the plant, including police headquarters and the town’s 911 center. The evacuation area was on the west side of Apex.
Evacuees initially took shelter at two elementary schools, although most in the middle- and upper-class suburban community of Raleigh headed to hotels or the homes of friends and relatives.
Tom and Laurel Sumner awoke to police officers knocking on their door, shortly after 1 a.m.
The Sumners, recent transplants from New Hampshire, scooped up their daughters – 1-year-old Emily and 5-year-old Isabelle – but not much else.
“When they tell you to leave, you don’t think too long about what to take,†said Tom Sumner, as the family waited out the crisis at Olive Chapel Elementary School, along with 200 or so other evacuees.
Red Cross volunteers brought in food, cots, diapers and other essentials.
Hazardous materials teams from Raleigh and other neighboring cities came to Apex’s aid, but town officials were letting the fire burn out early this morning.
They expected Raleigh Hazmat team members would try to get a look at the fire after daybreak, using Apex’s newest fire truck. The truck, which debuted in August, carries a 95-foot ladder that will provide an aerial view.
Apex officials reported no history of problems with EQ Carolina but acknowledged that they learned through the media this morning that state environmental officials issued citations and fines for safety violations earlier this year.
Weatherly, the mayor, said the town had not been alerted to the violations by the state.
“It certainly would have been prudent†to have told town leaders, Weatherly said.
In addition to wind changes, officials feared that rain which began shortly after 7 a.m. could carry some of the toxins into new areas.
At least eight schools were closed Friday, and several roads leading into the town were sealed off.
The Associated Press reported that Robert Doyle, a spokesman for Detroit-based EQ Industrial Services, parent company of EQ Carolina, said the firm is sending an emergency response team to the Apex site to help with the cleanup.
Doyle said the company’s 25 employees left the building by 7 p.m. Thursday.
