GORDON COUNTY, Ga. — A rubber recycling plant fire near a Calhoun airport is blocking several roadways Wednesday evening.
Calhoun Police Department said several buildings around the recycling plant were evacuated after a fire started at one of the machines in the plant. Due to the nature of the plant, the fire spread quickly and propane tanks inside of the building exploded, according to authorities.
The Calhoun Fire Department and crews with Gordon County Fire Department were called to the area.
"Due to the intense heat, they have been rotating their firefighters to keep them from being hurt," police said in a statement. "The building is not safe to go into, so they are fighting the fire from the outside."
As of Wednesday evening, a one-mile stretch of Highway 41 is closed near the Tom B. David Airport in Gordon County.