Blast Feared as Fire Devours North Carolina Fertilizer Plant (2)

A fire at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is prompting officials to urge nearby residents to evacuate due to the risk of an explosion.

Winston Weaver Co.’s Winston-Salem fertilizer plant, which manufactures highly flammable ammonium nitrate, caught fire Monday night. The facility has about 5,000 tons of finished fertilizer and 500 tons of the chemical compound inside, plus another 100 tons of ammonia nitrate in a rail car beside the building, fire chief Trey Mayo said Tuesday at a news conference. About 6,000 people living within a mile of the plant have been told to evacuate. ...