JARRATT, Va. — Multiple departments responded to a fire at an abandoned Georgia Pacific warehouse in Jarratt on Tuesday.
Assistant Greensville County Fire Chief Justin Rawlings said he received multiple calls about the fire just after 11:30 a.m.
Rawlings told CBS 6 there were several exposures inside the plant and multiple explosions could be heard going off inside, likely from old propane tanks.
Different ladder trucks actively sprayed water on the fire to get it under control, a process made more difficult by the heat and the lack of active water sources.
Rawlings said many of the fire hydrants on the property were inactive because the plant has not been in use for over 10 years.
Crews had to bring in dump tanks to provide additional water sources to get the fire under control, which was accomplished around 1:30 p.m.
Rawlings said he was incredibly impressed by the readiness of the approximately 50 firefighters on scene — nearly all of them volunteers.
There was no one inside the warehouse at the time of the fire. What makes this fire unusual, according to Rawlings, is that the plant has not been active for over a decade, so there are no power sources inside the building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Rawlings said an excavator will likely be brought in the coming days to tear down portions of the warehouse.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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