Agrium Inc. isn’t making any decisions right away about rebuilding its Hartsville, S.C., Rainbow fertilizer plant that was struck by a devastating fire last Monday afternoon (Feb. 14). The flames destroyed an 80-year-old wooden warehouse and damaged other buildings, burning so fiercely and producing such heavy smoke that it caused the evacuation of nearby homes and closure for several hours of most of the roads in this community of approximately 8,000.
Agrium officials reported there were about 19,000 st of dry finished fertilizer product, plus some raw materials stored in the warehouse at the time, and believe that damage to the rest of the plant is mostly smoke related. They said any determination on the cost of the loss would have to wait until the investigation is complete.
The facility and product were insured, and as a result there is expected to be no material financial impact on Agrium. The incident resulted in the temporary shutdown of the facility.
At the peak, there were well over 200 firefighters from 20 departments on scene, and there was still a crew at the site as late as last Thursday. The Hartsville Fire Department used the South Carolina mobilization system to bring in firefighting support from adjoining counties and communities. On Thursday, there was a report of a flare-up in the fire, but that could not immediately be confirmed. Local officials expected the scene would be turned over to the owners before the end of the week.
One family living nearby reportedly lost their home to the spreading flames and had to seek help at a Red Cross shelter.
Agrium said it was sorry for the impact this incident has had on the neighbors of the facility and the Hartsville community.
The Pee Dee chapter of the American Red Cross provided meals and drinks to the firefighters and also opened an emergency shelter in a Hartsville sports center for those who evacuated their homes. “We had approximately 70 people come in for emergency sheltering and had them there through the night and into the next morning when it was determined to be safe,” spokesperson Linda Boone-Smith reported.
Agrium said there were only eight of the 54 employees on the site when the fire broke out at around 6:45 p.m. Spokeswoman Stacey Doolan said officials at the Calgary, Alberta, headquarters weren’t thinking about rebuilding this soon, but “are focusing on the fire itself and how to make it safe and secure while cooperating with officials on the investigation.” She said those in the warehouse were safely evacuated at the time and there were no injuries. These employees told investigators they believed the fire started in the break room, but the Hartsville Fire Department said that was still to be determined. The State Health Department also had monitors on the scene to check on the smoke situation.
Agrium spokesman Paul Poister, on the scene from the Denver offices, said company representatives will get a chance to assess the damage as soon as the fire department turns over control of the site. “They were still there into Thursday making sure there are no hot spots,” Poister reported. He said the warehouse structure, the largest of 19 buildings, is a total loss as far as he could determine, and Agrium will be assessing damage to other buildings as soon as it gets clearance.
Poister said Agrium “could not be more thankful to the first responders at Hartsville and all the elected officials at all levels of government the city, county, and state, plus the federal officials who pitched in.” He said Hartsville is one of three Agrium plants in the southeast that produces the Rainbow brand of agriculture fertilizers. While production is halted at Hartsville, he indicated, customers will be supplied from the two other plants at Americus, Ga., and Florence, Ala.
Agrium acquired the site as part of its purchase of Royster-Clark.