A quiet Tuesday in Columbus County turned into a tense afternoon when a large fire and suspected hazardous materials incident erupted at a Chadbourn rail yard. County officials called in state help for specialized air monitoring, and North Carolina’s HazMat Regional Response Team 2, staffed by the Wilmington Fire Department, was sent to the scene. One firefighter was hospitalized with heat-related injuries as crews rolled out air-monitoring trailers around the site.
Video from the scene was shared on social media:
State EOC Called In Wilmington HazMat Team
According to NC Emergency Management, the State Emergency Operations Center received a request from Columbus County emergency management on Tuesday for NC HazMat Regional Response Team 2. Local coverage from WECT reports that crews arrived at a rail yard on Grist Road around 2 p.m., deployed two hazmat trailers to monitor air quality, and that one firefighter was taken to a hospital with heat-related injuries.
What RRT-2 Brings To The Scene
The Wilmington Fire Department operates the team as North Carolina Regional Response Team 2 and equips it with remote air-monitoring units, real-time sampling gear, and fully encapsulating chemical suits, according to the Wilmington Fire Department. The NC Department of Public Safety notes that the state’s seven regional response teams can be requested through the State Emergency Operations Center to provide technical support, sampling, and monitoring when incidents exceed local capabilities.
How Residents Were Affected
Officials have not released a full description of the hazardous material involved, and the cause of the incident remains under investigation, local reports say. Responders' use of air-monitoring trailers, along with the state-level request for RRT-2, is a standard move to measure airborne hazards and decide whether nearby neighborhoods face any risk.
What Residents Should Do
Residents are being urged to follow updates from Columbus County emergency management and to watch local media for any instructions. To report a chemical spill or reach the State Emergency Operations Center, the NC Department of Public Safety lists the State EOC number as 1-800-858-0368. Call local emergency services if you feel ill or notice visible smoke or strong odors.
Local officials said the incident remained under investigation into the evening, and more details were expected once crews secured the scene. This article will be updated as state and local agencies release further information.
