Aftermath of Hurricane Laura: Large Fire Starts at a Chemical Plant in Louisiana

On Thursday, On August 27, after Hurricane Laura swept through Lake Charles, Louisiana, a large fire broke out at a chemical plant outside the city. Writes about it Fox News.

Photo: Shutterstock

Images and videos of the fire show large plumes of smoke over Highway 10, which is why Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards advises locals to stay away from the area.

“There was a chemical fire in the Westlake / Moss Bluff / Sulfur area,” he tweeted. "Residents are advised to take shelter in place until further notice, and all doors and windows should be closed."

Rescuers say it is "a dangerous situation involving a chlorine leak from the BioLab chemical production facility."

Huge chemical fire just off I-10 in Lake Charles, LA pic.twitter.com/xQ1qcmPZYz

- RadarOmega (@RadarOmega_WX) August 27

BioLab's Lake Charles plant was built in 1979. It makes trichloroisocyanuric acid, chlorinated granules and other chemicals used in household cleaning products like Comet bleach and chlorine powder for pool cleaning.

as if #LakeCharles hasn't been through enough, massive chemical fire is spewing toxic fumes across I-10 #HurricaneLaura @accuweather @breakingweather pic.twitter.com/N8pFc45t8u

- Jonathan Petramala (@jpetramala) August 27

Both trichloroisocyanuric acid and chlorine are potentially very toxic to humans and animals if swallowed or inhaled. Chlorine gas, which can appear in the air as a greenish-yellow cloud, was used as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is a severe irritant to the eyes, throat and lungs.

Unknown chemical leak just off I-10 about 3 miles outside of Lake Charles. pic.twitter.com/BBW8bUcH9Y

- Jorge Ribas (@jribas) August 27

It is unclear what caused the fire.

Hurricane Laura hit the shore near Lake Charles on the morning of August 27, where wind gusts of 133 mph (214 km per hour) and sustained winds of 85 mph (136 km per hour) were recorded.

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