By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Camden, Tenn.–A huge fire at Magpro in Camden overnight destroyed barrels of magnesium, but there was no damage to the building or injuries.
Benton County EMA Director Richard Kee told RadioNWTN this morning that he received his first call on the fire around midnight and at that time “it was just a little spot that was on fire and it was dying down at that time.”
He received a second call at 2:30 a.m. “and the fire was very impressive at that point”.
Magpro did lose product, he said, but none of the building was affected. Employees were brought outside and were standing away from the building during the fire, he said.
Magpro is the second largest producer of primary magnesium in the U.S.
Kee said this is not the first fire at Magpro in recent years. Fire officials have said pouring water on magnesium fires make it worse, so they try to put materials as far from the fire as possible until the fire dies down.
The fire was still smoldering this morning.
Photo by Bobby Melton.