Greenville Explosion: Chemical Plant Fire Draws Emergency Response

An explosion at a chemical manufacturing facility in Greenville, Mississippi, prompted an immediate emergency response on Wednesday.

City officials received a notification of the incident just after 7 a.m. CST. The event occurred at the Loveland Products plant, which produces fertilizer and crop protection products. The facility is located in the Mississippi Delta region, approximately 120 miles northwest of the state capital, Jackson. Greenville has a population of roughly 26,000 residents.

Sara Moreland Hester, a deputy emergency management director for Washington County, reported that no injuries were initially recorded. As of midmorning, the fire was under control but not fully extinguished. Plant management provided preliminary details indicating that the explosion was linked to a fire involving a herbicide chemical.

Nutrien, the parent company of Loveland, stated that the fire is being managed. The company noted that plant leadership is coordinating with first responders on the scene. Loveland is headquartered in Loveland, Colorado.

Local authorities advised residents living near the plant, as well as those in areas to the east and south, to shelter in place for a few hours due to potentially hazardous smoke. The advisory was lifted just before noon in the mostly rural eastern edge of the city.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality confirmed that its emergency response team and an air monitoring contractor are currently assessing potential air quality impacts from the incident.