Fire still burning after Friday explosion at Smitty's Supply; see updates from officials
ROSELAND — Explosions through the nighttime hours prolonged an environmental emergency at a Tangipahoa Parish oils and lubricants company. An evacuation order for a community of about 1,000 people remained in place as Saturday dawned.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the initial blast, Louisiana State Police said the fire was still burning. They said the 1-mile radius evacuation order was still in effect, as well as a temporary flight restriction within three miles of the site.
State Police said Saturday evening that the fire is 90% contained. Recovery operations are also underway in nearby waterways to address potential environmental impacts. Contractors are staged along multiple sites of the Tangipahoa River, conducting booming operations to trap and recover product.
"Additional crews are also working to identify nearby smaller waterways, such as creeks and watering holes, where significant amounts of product may also be present," LSP said.
The evacuation order still remains in effect. Alongside that, an initial wildlife hotline was established to assist with impacted wildlife reports. That number is 832-514-9663.
Smitty's Supply, the company whose facility was ablaze, will also establish a dedicated claims hotline. Additional information will be provided as soon as it becomes available, LSP said.
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No one was injured in the explosion and resulting fire, local agencies said. The cause of the fire wasn't known, and there was no manifest yet listing what was ablaze. State environmental teams monitored air quality.
42 Roseland residents are housed in an evacuation shelter in Amite.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality also released a statement saying they are collecting water samples from areas impacted by "offsite soot deposition." Those results are expected to be available within the next 48 hours.
At a news conference on Saturday morning, Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller and LSP Sgt. William Huggins advised residents to stay indoors.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office said their non-emergency line is open to assist evacuated residents with pet retrieval, medication retrieval and vehicle retrieval. Anyone needing assistance with these is urged to call 985-345-6150 to coordinate with a deputy.
After an explosion at midday Friday, flames surrounded dozens of oil and chemical tanks at Smitty's Supply in the Arcola community on the north side of Roseland. An oily residue settled on virtually everything downwind of the plant site at the intersection of U.S. 51 and La. 10.
"It scared the hell out of me," resident Ida Oden said. "If you'd seen it, you would've thought it was the end of the world."
Residents within a mile of the plant were told to get out. Others in the area were advised to stay inside.
"Air monitoring conducted off-site but within this evacuation zone has not indicated any health concerns at this time, and conditions will continue to be closely monitored throughout the event," State Police said.
As was obvious from drone videos capturing the fire, the facility suffered major damage. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a no-fly zone in the immediate area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also would aid in the response and recovery.
Smitty's, founded in 1969, deals primarily in oils and lubricants but also manufactures brake fluid, power steering fluid and antifreeze, according to its website. The company's online profile says it has bulk storage tanks on site capable of holding 8.7 million gallons of material and is serviced by three railroad spurs.
According to its website, Smitty's has more than 450 employees. It also has facilities in Hammond, Indiana; Jasper, Texas; and Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Smitty's was founded in 1969 by Ray and George Ann Smith and was sold in 2000 to their four sons.
Other responders included the National Weather Service, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The FAA flight restrictions covered an area within three nautical miles of the plant, up to 5,000 feet.
Watch Saturday's full news conference here: