A powerful explosion and fire at an automotive supply company in southeast Louisiana forced evacuations on Friday, sending huge flames and a towering column of thick black smoke into the sky above rural communities.The blaze broke out at Smitty’s Supply, a plant that manufactures lubricants and automotive fluids, just north of the town of Roseland in Tangipahoa Parish, according to news agency AP. Local officials said no injuries have been reported, but everyone living within a one-mile radius was ordered to leave their homes. A nearby elementary school was also evacuated.Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said it was a “godsend” that no one had been hurt. “We are doing our best to protect people, structures and the environment,” he told reporters, as crews spent hours battling the inferno, reported AP.Videos of the incident going viral on social media showed bright orange flames leaping through the facility, contrasted against a thick black plume of smoke visible for miles. More than 35 agencies, including the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), responded to the emergency.LDEQ said it was monitoring air quality around the site. “All readings are zero at this time,” the agency stated, adding that the EPA had dispatched contractors for additional support, as per The Independent.The Tangipahoa Parish School System confirmed that Roseland Montessori School had been evacuated, with students bussed to a reunification site at the central office. “We are relieved to report that all Roseland Montessori students and staff have been accounted for and have returned home safe and sound,” superintendent Melissa Martin Stilley said, as cited by The Independent.According to Fox 26 Houston, the fire was first reported shortly before 1 pm CST. Multiple nearby roads were closed, and a shelter was opened at the Amite Community Center on West Chestnut Street to assist evacuees.Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted on X that the situation was being closely monitored. “We are praying for everyone’s safety,” he wrote.Authorities said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and it is unclear how long it will take to bring the fire fully under control.
