Large fire rips through chemical plant in New Jersey

By Lokman Vural Elibol and Faruk Zorlu

NEW JERSEY, US (AA) – Firefighters battled a massive fire at a chemical plant in New Jersey on Friday night.

Towering flames could be seen from miles as the blaze spread through the plant of Qualco, a company that manufactures chlorine for swimming pools, in the city of Passaic.

As clouds of smoke wafted through the region, authorities urged residents to keep their windows and doors closed.

Multiple structures were on fire at the facility and around 100,000 pounds of chlorine in the plant were impacted, according to Passaic Mayor Hector Lora.

Officials said much of the building where the blaze started had collapsed. One firefighter was injured by debris and taken to a hospital.

“We won’t be able to fully inspect until the fire is completely put out. It may take some time to establish cause,” Lora said.

The Department of Environmental Protection is also assessing air quality in the area, he added.

In a tweet, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reiterated that people living near the plant should keep their windows closed.

“We urge everyone in Passaic to stay safe as firefighters battle a large eight-alarm fire at a chemical plant off of Route 21,” Murphy wrote.

“Praying for the safety of our first responders on the scene."