Gwinnett County trash station fire sends worker to hospital

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County crews battled 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 responded using large amounts of water to control the deep-seated fire. One worker was transported to Northside Gwinnett Medical Center  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.

Due to the volume of fire, firefighters closed Seaboard Industrial Drive to support operations with water from two hydrants.

The Aviation Unit from the Gwinnett County Police Department assisted firefighters by monitoring the surrounding area for any spot fires caused by flying embers.

Firefighters had to deal with a downed power line, heat, and nearby fuel reserves such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tanks and a diesel fuel reservoir.

Once crews brought the fire under control at approximately 6:05 p.m., firefighters utilized two commercial excavators to assist with removing smoldering debris.

According to employees, the fire originated from a small trash fire near the edge of the warehouse.

Workers attempted to remove the burning debris before the fire rapidly intensified. Firefighters on the scene determined the fire was accidental.

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. 

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."