A fire at a chlorine plant in Westlake, near Lake Charles, continues to smolder Friday after Hurricane Laura tore through the area.
Officials with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) said the state learned about the fire at the BioLab Inc. plant Thursday morning. The plant makes chlorine for swimming pools.
The Lake Charles Fire Department was able to extinguish one of two fires at the plant, but continues to pump water onto a second fire smoldering in a warehouse. They have also closed all outfall canals in the area to prevent the spread of firewater.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said the smoke could be dangerous to breathe. Shelter-in-place orders are in effect for the 1-mile area around the plant.
Officials with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said people should stay indoors and keep the air conditioning off.
Greg Langley, a spokesman for LDEQ, said air monitoring is underway, but readings do not indicate the air is excessively dangerous to breathe.
Interstate 10 remains closed in both directions, complicating recovery efforts in the area.
BioLab Inc. has brought in trained workers to remove bags of product from the warehouse.
