NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & SportsEvacuees Return Home After Magnesium Fire

Evacuees Return Home After Magnesium Fire

CAMDEN, Tenn. - A fire at a magnesium recycling center burned Monday night six hours after it started.

Authorities evacuated homes near the Magpro facility after a magnesium fire started around 3:45 p.m., and finally by Tuesday morning evacuees were back in their homes.

School will also be in session Tuesday, after environmental officials said the air quality was clear of any toxicity.

According to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, residents who lived within a 1-mile radius of the facility were evacuated as a precaution because of propane tanks on site.

No injuries were reported.

About 30 people work for the company, which extracts magnesium from scrap metal.

Magnesium reacts with water therefore water cannot be used to extinguish this type of fire. More than 40 firefighters from different squads waited in a staging area near the plant. Showers moved in the area throughout the afternoon, making firefighting more problematic.

About 3,900 people live in Camden, which is about 70 miles west of downtown Nashville. The evacuation affected 60-75 homes.

Churches such as First United Methodist Church became makeshift shelters.

"With the kids, we are going to wait some more. I want someone to tell me they have an idea of how serious it is before we decide to go back," said Colleen Brown, an evacuee.

Two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives were on site to evaluate whether any emissions were harmful to the air and water.

"Right now they're putting some type of chemical on it," said Benton County Sheriff Tony King Monday afternoon. "We've evacuated a small area around the plant. We're not real sure about the toxins in there. Right now, we're trying to make sure everybody is safe. .... Right now, we haven't been told that there is any danger to anyone because of the smoke."

"The main reason we evacuated people because there is a large propane tank and a large anhydrous tank there," King said.

The concern was the initial smoke and potential pollutants emitted into the air. Later, emergency officials worried after five or six explosions at the plant occurred.

"From the radio station, we can see the smoke," Ron Lane, general manager of WRJB radio station, in a telephone interview shortly after the fire started. "Some of the ashes are drifting toward the town."

NewsChannel 5's investigative team discovered that Magpro faced fines twice in the last five months from federal safety regulators.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Magpro was fined in April and in May. The violations included inadequate emergency action plans, respiratory protection and hazards communications.

Jeremy Heidt, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, said five or six explosions were reported. Magnesium burns very hot and produces a light ash, Heidt said.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)