Responding to the Weaver Fertilizer Plant Fire

Dear Wake Forest students, faculty and staff,

I write to you today with my deepest gratitude for the cooperation, fortitude and care shown by our campus community as we have responded to the Weaver Fertilizer Plant fire this week. To make sure all members of our community are aware of the facts, details about the emergency response coordination, and the decision-making process we are using as we move forward, I encourage you to review this full message and visit our new website, which includes frequently asked questions and continuing updates.

My top priority as the University’s president is ensuring the wellbeing of all members of our community. While the situation this week is very serious and caution is warranted, I want to affirm that the University’s actions will always be based on the available facts, careful deliberation and the best recommendations of experts. This includes being committed to changing course rapidly as circumstances demand.

Understandably, the dynamic and changing situation over the past two days has raised numerous questions. I also write to share as much as possible regarding the current status of the situation.

Important Facts

The fire remains a complex and rapidly evolving challenge. To reiterate some important facts of this situation:

• The city of Winston-Salem has asked those living within one mile of the Weaver Fertilizer plant to adhere to a voluntary evacuation. There are approximately 1,000 students who live within that area. We have assisted students who indicated they needed temporary housing arrangements.
• In a briefing today (Thursday, Feb. 3), we were informed by the Weaver Plant Fire Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – composed of city, county, state, and federal officials responding to the fire – that the likelihood of an explosion has decreased significantly. Rain overnight and this morning further diminished the threat of explosion, and is allowing emergency responders to actively work on the scene. We have been again reassured by the EOC that the one-mile radius imposed at the outset of the fire is more than enough to keep campus safe based on conditions in the plant and how the material was stored.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), working in concert with Steve Fisenne, the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Wake Forest, reports that air-quality readings on and near campus indicate no threat to individual health and that the air is safe to breathe. Specifically, the EPA is monitoring for the presence of nitrogen dioxide and ammonia. Although others in the media are speculating on the possible conditions, the EPA representative to the EOC confirmed again this morning (Thursday, Feb. 3) that these compounds have not been detected in the monitoring taking place on campus.
• Prolonged exposure to the smoke may temporarily irritate the throat and lungs. It is recommended that those with respiratory issues or who need to be outdoors for extended periods of time wear masks to help alleviate this irritation. The presence of smoke may fluctuate on campus based on weather, wind and the activity of firefighters at the site.

How the University is making decisions

In support of my core commitment to transparency, I want to share further insight into how the University leadership team arrived at its most recent decisions and the information we continue to use to determine our future actions.

Our decisions were and will be based on two key factors: 1. Information regarding the risks to the campus; and 2. Challenges faced by students who reside within the voluntary evacuation area.

Risks to the campus

Evaluations of the two primary risks – the potential for explosion at the fire site and the resulting air quality on campus due to the fire – are central to all of our decisions and remain key indicators moving forward.

Our team has been in constant contact and present in every EOC briefing on the Weaver Plant fire since Monday evening. The EOC’s decision to establish the one-mile perimeter due to explosion and air quality risks was communicated to the University on Monday night. Beginning Monday night through this morning, city officials, including the Winston-Salem Fire Department and Emergency Manager, have reported to us that any potential explosion at the fire site does not pose a threat to Reynolda campus, and that the likelihood of explosion at the site itself continues to diminish.

Air quality and safety remain a central concern for our campus community. EPA officials on the scene have continued to affirm to us directly that the one-mile perimeter creates a safe distance from the potential impact of any chemical contaminants in the air. The EPA set up a monitoring station on Reynolda campus that is moved periodically throughout the day, based on changes in wind patterns, to generate data on air quality. No harmful chemical compounds have been detected via the EPA’s monitoring.

Fires also produce particulate matter, which makes smoke visible; EPA monitoring has found that the level of particulates in the air on campus does not pose health threats on campus. However, intermittent smoke can cause irritation in most people who are exposed for prolonged periods of time outdoors, and our experts have recommended that masks be worn to alleviate that irritation. It is important to note that the results of air quality monitoring directly on our campus differs from other air quality reports in Winston-Salem more broadly. Thus, general media air quality reports are not as accurate as the EPA’s monitoring for conditions on our campus.

We will continue to receive direct updates from the EOC regarding explosion and air quality risks as the fire response effort progresses and use that information to drive our decisions.

Ongoing challenges for displaced students

Our campus life staff and academic leadership have been in frequent contact with students displaced by the voluntary evacuation. Informing the campus of an intent to return to classes on Wednesday resulted in significant new outreach from displaced students, many of whom would have faced challenges participating in classes whether in person or remote. This outreach informed the academic deans’ recommendation to reverse our decision and cancel classes this week.

Information from the EOC had also indicated the perimeter of the evacuation area was likely to be reduced on Wednesday. However, in later Wednesday afternoon briefings with the EOC, we learned the period of time and the current perimeter would not expire or change Wednesday. Due to the extension of the evacuation period, students, faculty and staff living in the evacuation area have been advised not to return to their homes to retrieve what they would need to teach or attend classes – in-person or remotely.

We will continue to monitor campus risks from the fire site (possible explosion, air quality) and the ability for displaced students to return to the evacuation zone throughout the week and weekend and will communicate any changes to our plans accordingly. We do hope and anticipate that normal classes will resume on Monday.

Coordination to Inform Decision-Making

I would like to also illuminate the process through which the senior leadership of the University obtains information in times of crisis.

Coordination with city, state and federal officials

As an anchor organization in the Winston-Salem community, Wake Forest University maintains long-standing relationships with city and county officials. Throughout this situation, emergency responders and city officials have worked tirelessly to keep the entire Winston-Salem community safe and informed. Their efforts and expertise are helping the city navigate this continuously evolving situation.

Throughout this emergency, a member of the Wake Forest University Police Department has been embedded with the EOC that coordinates the efforts of federal, state and local emergency responders. Our information comes directly from the experts assembled there, and the fire and law enforcement officials who are coordinating the fire response effort.

Coordination across the University

The dynamic coordination taking place in the EOC is mirrored by the University’s response structure.

In emergency situations, Wake Forest deploys an incident management team (IMT) – comprising subject matter experts and leaders representing units across campus – led by our emergency services manager, Chauncey Bowers. This group surfaces issues impacting campus emergency response, coordinates resolutions and makes recommendations to University leaders for decisions. In our current situation, the IMT is working with information coming directly from the EOC.

I am deeply appreciative of the many Wake Forest faculty and staff members who are assisting the University community and providing ongoing support to our students, especially those who had to evacuate their homes. Wake Forest has an outstanding team of professionals across the institution and community who are always working for the good of our students.

Student leaders have also played a critical role in sharing concerns they are hearing from students about the challenges we face in this situation. The University also incorporates the feedback we receive directly from parents and families in coordinating our response efforts.

Staying Informed

The efforts described here will continue until the fire no longer poses significant operational challenges to the University. I am deeply grateful to each of you for showing care and concern for one another and for this campus we call home. We will continue to update the community with new information as it is available. The best resources are found on the Wake Forest website.

Should you have any concerns, our Call Center is available today, Thursday, February 3 and Friday, February 4, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern. Please call our Call Center at 336-758-7500 for questions and feedback.

Crises are crucibles that reveal who we are, as individuals and as a community. What I have seen is strength, compassion and a willingness to make hard choices – and to adjust in real-time when necessary.

Thank you for your support and for all the ways you are contributing to our community response efforts.

Sincerely,

Susan R. Wente
President