Health officials say there is no public health threat from a Dorchester County cement plant after a massive fire broke out in one of its storage buildings Monday morning.
Remains of the storage facility at Argos USA, which firefighters knocked down after putting the fire out (Courtesy: SCDHEC)
An alternative fuels warehouse caught fire early Monday at the Argos USA plant in Harleyville, which is located on Judge Street less than a mile off Interstate 26.
Crews from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) were on location to monitor smoke and water runoff from firefighting crews. Spokesman Adam Myrick said investigators wanted to check for potentially hazardous materials because they did not know exactly what was in the building that caught fire.
“At this point, we have no reason to believe that the smoke or that runoff water presents any type of threat to public health,” he told South Carolina Radio Network.
Myrick said the company used the building to store materials such as carpet fiber, paper, and rubber to be recycled as fuel for its on-site power. Because of the nature of those alternative fuels, DHEC was monitoring to see if any contain harmful materials, he said.
Crews were called to the scene at 4:45 a.m. Monday morning. No injuries were reported. Two workers were inside the building, but made it out safely.
Several reports counted 75 firefighters on the scene. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
