A large fire ignited in a chemical plant in Westlake, Louisiana, after Hurricane Laura brought flooding and strong winds through the area.
BioLab, a company that makes chlorine products for pools, caught fire early Thursday morning, prompting Gov. John Bel Edwards to issue a warning urging citizens in the area to stay inside their homes to avoid inhaling any dangerous chemicals.
“There is a chemical fire in the Westlake/Moss Bluff/Sulphur area. Residents are advised to shelter in place until further notice and close your doors and windows,” Edwards tweeted.
“If you are in the Westlake/Moss Bluff/Sulphur area, shelter in place, close your windows and doors and TURN OFF YOUR AIR CONDITIONING UNITS. There is a chemical fire. Stay inside and wait for additional direction from local officials,” he added in a later tweet.
? If you are in the Westlake/Moss Bluff/Sulphur area, shelter in place, close your windows and doors and TURN OFF YOUR AIR CONDITIONING UNITS. There is a chemical fire. Stay inside and wait for additional direction from local officials. ?
— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) August 27, 2020
Massive plumes of black smoke were captured by witnesses who posted the images and video to social media. Hurricane Laura had blown through the area earlier in the morning, but it is unclear if the storm directly caused the fire.
The shelter-in-place order for the area is still in effect. According to the National Weather Service, sections of nearby Interstate 10 were shut down.
Huge chemical fire just off I-10 in Lake Charles,LA pic.twitter.com/xQ1qcmPZYz
— RadarOmega (@RadarOmega_WX) August 27, 2020
