Firefighters say the fire at Nature's Earth Pellets, NC, LLC on Aberdeen Road in Laurinburg is contained and under control.
Laurinburg Fire Chief John Evans says workers from the plant called 911 around 8:40 a.m. Thursday saying there was smoke coming from one of the plant's four silos.
Plant Manager Trent Locklear says they evacuated all 21 employees and told them to go home for the day.
Firefighters say the explosion-proof doors to the silo were blown out. They say flames were coming from the top of the silo and the fire appeared to be trapped down inside the silo.
Fire chief John Evans says it appears a bearing to a motor that runs to the silo may have gone bad sparking the fire. He says the engineer who built the silo is headed to the scene to answer questions about the construction.
Evans says the fire is still smoldering, but it's under control. The silo contained a wood product. Locklear says they may have to dispose of all of the product depending on how much of it was burned.
Locklear says at one time, Nature's Earth manufactured kitty litter. But he says it now makes horse pellets and a product for a biofuel.
We will continue to update this fire for you and let you know what happens.
