Massive Fire Burns at Clayton Co. Industrial Building

MORROW, Ga. - Clayton County authorities say a large fire is buing in an industrial area in Morrow. The blaze sparked at the Tensar Inteational Corporation, located off of Citizens Parkway near South Lake Mall. The company houses construction materials and many of them are petroleum-based, which is causing the thick, towering black smoke.

The blaze is intense and small explosions can be heard coming from the fire. Fire crews are trying to contain the fire to the materials yard and keep it from spreading to nearby businesses, including what one employee told FOX 5 was a warehouse that store paint and paint thinners. One witness said he saw huge rolls of plastic fencing on fire.

Firefighters have evacuated nearby businesses as a precaution, FOX 5’s Doug Evans reports. Clayton County fire crews are being assisted by crews from DeKalb County as well as a foam truck from nearby Hartsfield-Jackson Inteational Airport.

The view from SkyFOX 5 showed thick smoke and heavy flames buing through materials housed in an area outside the building. The fire appeared to have started outside the building, but was quickly spreading.

Firefighters are encouraging people to stay out of the area of State Highway 54 and Mt Zion Road. If smoke is a problem to homes and businesses, people are advised to tu off the air conditioning systems to keep the smoke from being pulled inside.

”A good rule of thumb to go by is if you are anywhere near this area and you are in a car, go ahead and drive out of this area, said Clayton County Fire Chief Jacque Feilke. ”If you are at home, stay in your house and close the doors, close the windows, tu off the air because that pulls in air from the outside.

According to their website, Tensar Inteational Corporation is headquartered in Atlanta. The site describes the company as a provider of specialty products and engineering services for commercial, residential, industrial, and municipal sites, as well as in transportation infrastructure. The site also says the company specializes in solutions for common site development problems like grade changes that require retaining walls, and poor soil conditions that impact the cost of roads, parking lots and building structures.

FOX 5 spoke to company president Bob Vevoda, who said the company makes products using high-density poly-ethaline the manufacturing of material for the construction industry.

Large Fire Buing at Clayton Co. Industrial Building: MyFoxATLANTA.com