Strong winds pushed embers into nearby woods and sparked 10 to 12 brush fires up to two miles away as firefighters from multiple departments worked the blaze

EMPORIA, Va. — A large fire broke out on Jan. 15 at the closed Georgia-Pacific plywood plant in Emporia, according to the Greensville Volunteer Fire Department. The facility was shut down abruptly in May of last year.

Greensville firefighters arriving on the scene faced strong winds that spread embers into nearby wooded areas and across Highway 58, according to WTVR. Officials said firefighters would remain on scene overnight and into the morning.

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Firefighters from Emporia, Dolphin, Lawrenceville and other areas responded to help contain the blaze. Greensville Volunteer Fire Chief Jeff Rowlings told WWBT that propane tanks at the facility were a major concern. Some tanks exploded, but crews did not need to be evacuated.

“Right now, we are just trying to hit the hot spots, we’re going to probably be staffing firefighters for the next 24 hours because of the hot spots, that’s kind of what we are doing right now,” Rowlings said. “It’s very cold conditions but we are doing the best we can do.”

Rowlings said crews extinguished about 10 to 12 brush fires, some as far as two miles from the plant.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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