Gwinnett County trash station fire sends worker to hospital

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County crews are battling a large fire at a trash transfer station that sent one person to the hospital Friday afternoon.

Lawrenceville warehouse fire ruled accidental

What we know:

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the Gwinnett Transfer Station at 535 Seaboard Industrial Drive around 2:30 p.m. to find a warehouse engulfed in fire.

Officials say the fire was accidental and began in a pile of trash being moved into the facility. The flames grew rapidly and spread to the structure before workers could move the materials away.

Approximately 40 firefighters and two ladder trucks are on the scene using large amounts of water to control the deep-seated fire. One worker was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, while a second worker was treated at the scene for minor injuries. Both injuries were related to trips or falls rather than burns.

What we don't know:

Fire officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of employees who were on-site at the time of the evacuation. While the fire is considered accidental, the specific materials that ignited the blaze have not been identified.

The backstory:

The Gwinnett Transfer Station is a facility used to hold and process trash before it is transported elsewhere. 

What they're saying:

"They noticed it grew quite rapidly, and they were trying to move it away from the structure. Unfortunately, they could not. And so it just spread," said Gwinnett County Fire Lt. Jessica Joiner.

Joiner noted that the nearby Gwinnett County Airport property was not involved or affected by the smoke plumes. "The airport is not affected at all. We have not had any reports of that being affected."

What's next:

Fire crews expect to remain on the scene into the evening to fully extinguish the "deep-seated" fire. Investigations will continue to determine the exact cause of the ignition, though foul play is not suspected.