PETERSBURG, Va. — A fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Phlow Pharmaceutical's manufacturing plant in Petersburg, forcing an evacuation and temporarily halting operations.
The Petersburg Fire Department responded to the scene on Normandy Drive, where they found heavy smoke coming from the roof of the drug manufacturing facility.
Multiple fire departments from surrounding areas including Dinwiddie, Prince George, Chesterfield, and Colonial Heights were called in to assist with the emergency response.
Crews successfully contained the fire to a 10x10 area of the roof and extinguished the flames within 30 minutes.
"We evacuated staff as a precautionary measure and are working with authorities to assess the situation," Phlow Pharmaceutical said in a statement.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
The pharmaceutical company has operated at the Petersburg complex for a year and a half. In 2022, Phlow received approximately $50 million in federal grants to create a regional pharmaceutical research and manufacturing hub focused on producing medicines in short supply.
Phlow provided the following statement to CBS 6:
"Today, a roof fire was reported at one of Phlow’s manufacturing facilities in Petersburg, VA. The fire was quickly contained and extinguished. Importantly, there were no injuries to employees, and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
"As a precaution, the facility was evacuated, and we are working closely with authorities to assess the situation. We are grateful to the first responders from Petersburg, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, and Fort Lee for their swift and professional action. Operations will resume tomorrow as planned."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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