Chemical Plant Fire in Georgia Raises Heavy Smoke

A warehouse fire Friday afternoon at a factory nearl Atlanta, Georgia, manufacturing nitrocellulose raised smoke thick enough to be detected on local weather radar, local media report.

Nitrocellulose resin is used in printing inks, nail polishes, wood processing and automotive refinishing, the website for Alchemix Corporation in College Park, Georgia, states. Also known as gun cotton, nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by combining cellulose with nitric acid.

“Alchemix would like to inform that a fire in its production facility … took place this Friday, July 17^th, at around 4:15 p.m.,” the company website states. “The fire has already been contained and there were no victims.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, the website reports. Although the fire was near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, there was no impact on flight operations.