LAKE CHARLES, La. — A portion of residents in Lake Charles were under a shelter-in-place order after a fire at a chemical facility on Tuesday, according to Louisiana State Police.
Officials said the shelter-in-place order extended about a quarter-mile of the BioLab facility in Westlake. The precautionary order advised residents to shut their doors and windows, turn off their A/C and ventilation, and wait for further instruction.
The fire also closed the interstate for 10 miles, state police said.
According to our partners at WBRZ, a BioLab spokesperson said there were no injuries and they are investigating how the fire started.
"As always, the safety and well-being of our community in Lake Charles remains of the utmost importance, and we have deployed our own specialized experts onsite to work cooperatively with first responders and local authorities in order to address the incident."
State police said the fire was contained at 90 percent.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said crews will "conduct air monitoring along I-210", and "chlorine levels are within safe limits."
LDEQ also said the U.S. Coast Guard has temporarily shut down mile markers 33-36 of the ship channel as a precaution until further updates are available.
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