Story Highlights • Entire downtown of Apex, North Carolina, covered in thick black smoke
• At least 106 nursing home residents hospitalized, officials say
• Town manager: Being near smoke puts people "in very grave danger"
• Cause of fire unknown; explosion occurred around 10 p.m. local time
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APEX, North Carolina (CNN) -- Half of Apex, North Carolina's, 32,000 residents have been advised to evacuate Friday after explosions and fire at a hazardous waste plant released a cloud of noxious gases over the town.
"There are pesticides, oxides, chlorine gases, there are all grades of contaminated material in this fire and in this smoke," Apex town manager Bruce Radford said. "(People) are putting themselves in very grave danger by being near or around this smoke. If you see smoke, get away from it."
No deaths have been reported, but more than 100 people have been hospitalized.
A hazardous materials team from nearby Raleigh was waiting until daybreak to assess the damage.
Officials said they didn't know what sparked the fire, but The Associated Press quoted Mayor Keith Weatherly who said flames jumped the plant site and appeared to have burned four petroleum tanks belonging to another company. That likely accounted for the explosions, Weatherly said.
A yellow haze lingered over downtown and there was a faint smell of chlorine in the air, The Associated Press reported. Police lined up along the main street that runs through the town's business district, blocking both ends of the road, according to AP.
"People are going to want to come in and sight-see at this fire scene," Radford told AP. "They will either get terribly sick or they will be arrested. No questions asked."
Practically the entire eastern part of the town of Apex, located about 10 miles southwest of Raleigh, had been evacuated by early Friday, Radford said. Apex has a population of roughly 32,000 people and officials are asking about half the population to leave their homes as a precaution.
Facility fined for safety violations
The facility, Environmental Quality Industrial Services, processes hazardous and non-hazardous waste, according to its Web site. On March 31, the plant was fined for six safety violations, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Web site.
It was required to pay a fine of $32,000 for failing to "minimize the possibility of a sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste constituents to air, soil or surface water which could threaten human health or the environment."
The company, based in Wayne, Michigan, was also cited for storing a container of hazardous waste beside an incompatible one and for not clearly marking containers to identify their contents.
They also were cited for failing to immediately carry the procedures outlined in the contingency plan "whenever there is a release of hazardous waste or constituents which threatens or could threaten human health or the environment."
Nursing home patients treated
No deaths have been reported, but hospital officials said at least 106 residents from a nearby nursing home were admitted in addition to numerous people complaining of severe respiratory distress.
The entire downtown area is covered in thick black smoke, and Radford said he is concerned about the citizens who have ventured down near the fire for a closer look. Residents as far as 2 miles away could see the plume or smell the chemicals, officials told AP.
Residents have been asked to evacuate from at least six neighborhoods while others have been told to remain in their homes.
"We haven't been outside because they told us not to go outside," said Apex resident Willette Teasley. "There is a chlorine cloud from what I understand and when I stand at the bathroom window I see an orange tint over the trees."
Teasley said she suspects the orange color is from the fire since chlorine clouds are usually green.
Authorities are calling this the "biggest emergency we've ever had to deal with," Teasley said.
"We're just going to play it by ear," she said about whether her family would evacuate or not.
Meanwhile, all area hotels were completely booked up, according to Radford, and at least 200 residents had gathered at a local elementary school that was transformed into an emergency shelter. The shelter manager said Red Cross officials were en route with food, water and sleeping cots.
Massive evacuations were called shortly after a fire erupted at EQ Industrial Services, a facility that, according to its Web site, processes hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
Radford said the facility is in an industrial area but a residential area is nearby. He cautioned residents to close all windows, turn off all air conditioning and be aware if they have "tenderness of the mouth, gagging and nausea, which are typical signs of poisoning."
Although flames from the fire reached 150 feet at one point, officials are letting it burn to completion without intervention for fear of toxic runoff and because the chemicals pose a threat to firefighters.
"Water would flood the area with toxic chemicals," Radford said. "It just needs to burn up."
However, fire departments throughout Wake County were on the scene and others were on standby.
Radford declared a state of emergency for the town and county and said the business district, town hall and all schools in Apex will be closed Friday.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
EQ Industrial Services Apex, NC on October 6, 2006
Up to 17,000 people are being evacuated in Apex, North Carolina after a chlorine gas leak occurred during a Hazardous Waste facility explosion and fire.
Map showing location of plant (Red dot) and approximate evacuation zone (in Blue). ''Note: Evacuation zone shown is indicative only and should not be relied upon for guidance, Contact local authorities instead''.
Residents are advised to keep windows closed, turn off all air conditioning and that tenderness of the mouth, gagging and nausea are typical signs of poisoning. They are advised to stay away from the fire and any smoke, as it could be a health hazard. CNN reports that air quality tests run by the NCDENR indicate nothing especially harmful in the air near the plant.

Area residents are being advised to call '''919-856-7044''' for general information as 911 lines are overloaded. Bruce Radford, manager of the town in suburban Raleigh, said that the business district, schools and the town hall will remain closed on Friday.
Wake County, NC
No fatalities have been reported.  WRAL-TV reported that 90 residents of a nearby nursing care facility were moved to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.  About 20 Apex residents were reported to have been treated and released for respiratory symptoms related to exposure.

Officials are presently unsure of the cause. The fire and subsequent explosions started sometime after 9 p.m. EST Thursday, October 5.

Changing weather conditions in the area threaten additional evacuations. A section of State Highway 55 has been shut down near the incident.

The company, Environmental Quality of Wayne, Michigan, had been warned and fined $32,000 by state regulators in March of 2006 for hazardous conditions at the plant, which temporarily stores hazardous materials including chlorine, pesticides, and PCBs.

WRAL-TV reports that Sulfur, Oxidizers, Chlorine, Pesticides and PCBs were stored in the facility.

Fire crews from  Cary, Apex, Raleigh, Wake County and Fairview are assisting in the effort. However, there is no effort to fight the fire as it would be too dangerous to firefighting personnel. It will eventually burn itself out.