15 firefighters suffer minor injuries taking on a Virginia warehouse blaze

SOUTH HILL, Va. (AP) — Fifteen firefighters were injured battling a large fire at a fertilizer warehouse in Virginia, officials said.

The firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries from chemical exposure, heat exhaustion and minors scrapes and burns while taking on the fire that started Saturday at the Nutrien Ag Solutions facility in South Hill, the town’s volunteer fire department said on Facebook.

Fire officials recommended those near the area evacuate voluntarily and asked people to avoid the area and take shelter.

The fire has been contained, the fire department said.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management was monitoring the area after runoff from the fire entered nearby creeks, the fire department said.

“Cleanup will take weeks for our agencies and an extended period of time for the property,” the fire department said.

News outlets reported that the fire started when someone drove into the building. Fire officials said that person was sent to the hospital with burns.