Glynn County officials conducting inspection of Pinova plant following massive fire, cause still unclear

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Brunswick City Fire crews are working with the Georgia Fire Marshal to begin an inspection of the Pinova plant fire that sparked early Saturday morning and then reignited a few hours after officials said the initial fire was contained, according to Glynn County officials.

The fire started Saturday around 7 a.m. Officials said it was contained around 10 a.m., then it reignited later that afternoon. Multiple fire and rescue departments from Georgia and Florida counties came to assist with the massive blaze.

Ron Kurtz, senior director of operations at Pinova, said in a statement Sunday, that it took responders 90 minutes to get the initial fire under control and thanked crews for their “coordinated approach” after the fire reignited.

Glynn County officials said in a release Sunday that crews are continuing to “maintain the scene and spray the area as a precautionary measure.”

“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the City & County Fire Departments, the Savannah Fire Department, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and other firefighting teams and Samaritans in the vicinity, as well as the Georgia EPD, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other relevant authorities, for their swift and effective emergency response,” Krutz said.

At the Saturday night news conference, a firefighter said the crews gained control of the fire by setting up a foam operation, and by 10 p.m., they announced that the fire was successfully extinguished and all evacuation and shelter-in-place orders were lifted.

The release said the Environmental Protection Agency distributed seven monitors at various locations around the perimeter of the plant to test and monitor air quality overnight following the blaze.

According to officials, no levels were registered to call for public safety concerns and wind shifts helped move the smoke plume and keep it from settling in the area.

The Glynn County Board of Commissioners initially reported Saturday that there were no injuries, but the release said two people suffered minor burns during the incident and were treated by paramedics onsite.

Kurtz said no employees were injured as well as all workers were evacuated to safe areas when the fire began.

Multiple law enforcement agencies also facilitated traffic as evacuations and shelter-in-place orders were called. They also provided emergency vehicle escorts and patrols for safety.

“I am so proud of our First Responder community,” said Brunswick City Fire Department Chief Tim White. “This was a mutual aid operation; we had every resource on hand and available to us. The response was fast, and I cannot say enough about this community.

The Red Cross set up a shelter at Howard Coffin Park for evacuees, where 29 Glynn County residents signed in at the shelter and 16 stayed the entire night, according to the executive director of the Southeast Georgia region. Evacuees returned to their homes early Sunday morning.

The cause of the fires is still unclear and under investigation.

Officials said the plant sustained structural damage, but no chemical tanks were affected. Krutz said the fire started in the terpene resin area of the facility. The terpene resins, according to Krutz, are used in adhesives, construction specialties, flavors, fragrances, personal care as well as other household items.

Krutz said the company is working with officials to conduct a full investigation.

Pinova plant officials will make the final decision on plant operations once the investigators complete the inspection.