BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. — A fire at a manufacturing plant turned the skies over Bartow County into a smoky orange color as neighbors awoken by the blast watched firefighters tackle the blaze Friday morning.
Several residents told Channel 2's Rachel Stockman they heard a loud explosion about 12:30 a.m. Fire crews quickly worked to contain the flames at the Molding Unlimited factory on Rocky Street in White, but the fire still towered over a neighboring church before 6 a.m.
"It was shaking my whole house. It woke up my daughter and I was like, 'Get your clothes together,'" neighbor Amanda Thompson said.
"It rattled the windows. It was really loud, like cannons going off," one man told Stockman.
Fire crews worked to contain the flames at the Molding Unlimited factory, but the fire still towered over a neighboring church before 6 a.m.
Water supplies were running low in the city of White, and crews were worried about water pressure, so they connected to Bartow County water line, a city of White councilman told Stockman.
Emergency officials decided not to order an evacuation, but neighbors remained very cautious of the fire seen from their back yard. Officials did close Highway 411 at Stamp Creek Road two miles east of Interstate 75. Commuters can use Highway 20 as an alternate, according to Triple Team Traffic's Doug Turnbull.
The city manager said the building used to be an old mill and is a historic site built in 1962. The factory currently produces wood molding.
“All I’ve been doing is praying. Praying for the workers, and hopefully our neighbors will be OK. I’m very scared,” Thompson said.
Late in the day Friday, firefighters were still on scene putting out hot spots as the rubble of the factory continued to smolder.
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