A Helena Chemical Co. crop input warehouse in Humboldt, Tenn., was a total loss last week after lightning struck the building and caused a fire on March 28. Fortunately, no one was inside when the fire started in the fertilizer and seed warehouse at approximately 6 a.m. Fire crews were still at the scene late last week dealing with smoke. There were no injuries; however, as the fire progressed the smoke became so heavy that three manufacturing companies at the center were evacuated, along with homes located downwind.
In all, about 700 persons were involved, but they were allowed to return later in the day. Spokesman Jim Arnold remarked from the Helena headquarters at Collierville, Tenn., that the building was “pretty well engaged” when the firefighters from Humboldt and neighboring communities reached the scene. As is standard practice in these cases, firefighters withheld water and let the blaze burn because of a combination of chemicals housed inside the building. A day later the company declared the approximately 10,000-square-foot building and its contents a total loss. Arnold, manager of advertising and promotions for Helena, said the facility manufactures no products but is used to store agricultural chemicals for delivery to customers, and that company salesman work out of the location. He said there were probably more seed products on hand than fertilizer, but didn’t know what other chemicals may have been there.
Helena said professional emergency response and environmental contractors were dispatched to the scene to assist the local fire department and emergency officials. These teams began taking air samples for toxins and are sharing results with U.S. EPA and the Tennessee Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Helena reported that no problems had been detected from over 16,000 air samples taken in the first 24 hours. Sampling was also conducted inside factories adjacent to the warehouse, and other outside monitoring will continue. In addition, contractors and heavy equipment were called in to assist in the cleanup of burned material and building debris.
With the loss at Humboldt, reported Ed Brister, director of safety, health and engineering, customers in this region will be served from several surrounding locations, such as Jackson, Alamo, Atoka, and Sharon, and “should not see any interruptions.”