No injuries, minimal damage in Georgia Pacific fire in Taylorsville, Mississippi


TAYLORSVILLE, Miss. (From news reports) - A fire that started inside a mixing tank Friday morning, Dec. 31, at Georgia Pacific Chemicals in Taylorsville was quickly brought under control.

No was injured and emergency responders did not have to evacuate anyone from the grounds or surrounding area, Taylorsville Police Department Chief Gabe Horn said.

Georgia-Pacific spokesman Rick Kimble said a small fire had started inside a "reactor," a tank about the size of a mid-sized vehicle where chemicals are mixed for use in various resins and other woodworking products.

Kimble said the fire burned through a seal to reach the exterior of the tank.

That's when units from Taylorsville, Magee, Mize and other nearby volunteer departments arrived on the scene.

Horn said the units used foam to extinguish the fire, which he said is standard operating procedure

"I want to make this very, very clear that there was no explosion at this site," Kimble said. "The reactors do have pressure relief valves, and when they go, which this one did like it was supposed to, it makes a very loud noise.

"That could have been what some people mistook for an explosion."

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