A fire ignited Aug. 27 at a chemical plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after Hurricane Laura roared through the city overnight and as authorities gauged overall damage in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.
The fire was burning Aug. 27 at BioLab, a subsidiary of Toronto-based KIK Custom Products, which manufactures chlorine-based products used in disinfectants, detergents and pool and spa treatment, and sent massive smoke plumes over the city.
Daniel Hoadley, a spokesman for KIK, confirmed the fire in an email.
"As a result of damage sustained during Hurricane Laura, there is currently a fire at one plant located at the company's Biolab Lake Charles, LA facility," he said.
The facility was evacuated when the hurricane was upgraded to Category 4 status before landfall, and all employees were confirmed to be safe, Hoadley said. The company deployed a specialized team to the site to work with first responders, local authorities and environmental agencies to contain and mitigate the blaze and its impact.
"We will provide additional information as it becomes available," he said.
Switzerland-based Lonza Group also operates a specialty chemicals facility adjacent to the BioLab site. Lonza did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Nearby, Westlake Chemical was assessing damage at its Lake Charles, Louisiana, complex, and units shut ahead of the storm's arrival remained idle, a spokesman said on Aug. 27.
"We are pleased to report that the ride-out crews that staffed our facilities overnight during Hurricane Laura are all okay," spokesman Chip Swearngan said in an email. "Westlake's Lake Charles sites are conducting equipment assessments today following Hurricane Laura's overnight move through the area."
Westlake's Lake Charles complex includes three chlor-alkali plants, with combined capacity of 1.27 million mt/year of chlorine and 1.36 million mt/year of caustic soda; two vinyl chloride monomer plants, with combined capacity of 952,543 mt/year; two crackers, with combined capacity of 1.19 million mt/year; 200,000 mt/year of LLDPE capacity; 60,000 mt/year high density PE/LLDPE operation; 386,000 mt/year of LDPE capacity; 258,547 mt/year of styrene capacity.
South Africa-based Sasol said it was assessing damage at its Lake Charles complex, where pre-storm unit shutdowns included 1.5 million mt/year and 439,000 mt/year crackers; 470,000 mt/year LLDPE; 380,000 mt/year ethylene oxide/monoethylene glycol; a new 420,000 mt/year LDPE plant slated to start up in September.
