WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — First responders are still working to put out hotspots at the Weaver Fertilizer plant Friday night, but the risk of explosion from the ammonium nitrate greatly reduced Thursday, thanks to tireless efforts from firefighters and other first responders working to put out the flames from all angles.
It wasn’t long after the blaze started that firefighters had to get back because of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate in the building.
Fire investigators said the chemical had the potential to explode and asked homeowners within a one-mile radius to evacuate.
More resources were called in from the Lewisville Fire Department, Greensboro Fire, Winston-Salem Police, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and agencies beyond the Triad.
Lewisville, Greensboro, and Forsyth County all aided in drone flight. The agencies put drones in the air, with a birds-eye-view of the flames.
“We were able to fly the drone around and look at different components of the building that was burning, specifically the rail car, so we were able to provide that visual Information that didn’t require them to put any firemen at risk,” said Lewisville Assistant Fire Chief David Kivett.
The drones give investigators a visual and thermal view to help firefighters figure out what hotspots still need to be put out.
“With the drones to be able to support the tactical decisions that the chiefs and the command post are making definitely is a step forward for the drone programs,” said Adam Meredith with the Greensboro Fire Department.
Meredith said the drones have proven to be crucial in this situation, giving first responders and investigators eyes on the fire when it was too dangerous for them to be up close.
"With the drones to be able to support the tactical decisions that the Chiefs and the command post making definitely is a step forward for the drone programs this will be the first time that I know of that drones have worked as inter-agencies with multiple agencies working together," he said.
Cpl. Brian Mullins, Drone Team Commander with the Forsyth County Sheriffs office was called the night the fire started to help.
"When I got the drone up that first night and just saw the fire everywhere and how widespread, how big the area was I knew it was going to be a bad thing," he said.
Cpl. Mullins said when he learned there was a highly flammable chemical inside the plant, he knew the fight would take days.
"We're law enforcement, we carry guns, so that’s not really our thing but we enjoyed helping them with the drone and we were able to live stream that footage back to the command post to all the experts who are looking at the fire," he said.
The first responders agree that teamwork helped make the fight a success.
"It was an honor and there’s a lot of kidding that goes back-and-forth between firefighters and police officers but there really was a sense of brotherhood there, working with people from everywhere. It was moving," said Mullins.
"We all worked together fluidly I mean it was phenomenal how everybody did what they need to do," Kivett said.
Mullins said he has so much respect for the firefighters that run to the flames and put themselves in the line of fire.
"We weren’t in danger, me, as a drone pilot, unless the blast had occurred I wasn’t in danger but I gained a lot of respect for the firefighters because they have to go in there," said Mullins, "They do things that I wouldn’t want to do and they probably say the same thing about me but it’s a real brotherhood."
Fire officials continue working to put fires out and are keeping that 600-foot radius until the job is done.