PROSPERITY, S.C. — Crews from several departments were on the scene for hours Tuesday morning extinguishing flames and monitoring for flare-ups at a local wood products plant.
Newberry County Emergency Manager Tommy Long said that the fire happened in the plywood portion of the Georgia-Pacific plant near Prosperity just before midnight on Monday and wasn't considered fully under control until about 3 a.m. the next morning.
At this point, authorities believe the cause of the fire was a short in the wiring.
A spokesperson for Georgia-Pacific said damage from the fire was relatively minor and that internal systems helped suppress the flames before they spread. However, fire crews were still on the scene to check for pop-up fire or extension. Heavy smoke was also an obstacle for crews that night.
According to the company's website, Georgia Pacific currently operates five facilities directly employing 1,100 people in South Carolina. The Newberry location near Prosperity producers both lumber and plywood.
The spokesperson said that production shouldn't be significantly impacted - if at all. He said no injuries were reported.
The fire at the Georgia-Pacific plant is just the second such incident in Newberry County in mere days.
Fire Crews in the town of Newberry Responded to the West Fraser Lumber Mill on Friday afternoon to another reported fire. Several Departments also worked together in that fire to get the flames under control. As of Saturday, the cause was still under investigation.
