Fire torches warehouse at MSD Woodfin facility

Posted on by Daniel Walton
MSD warehouse fire
WATCH IT BURN: A Nov. 10 fire at a Metropolitan Sewerage District warehouse in Woodfin sent a plume of black smoke into the skies. Photo by Xavier Hooper

A black column of smoke ascended into the clouds above Asheville the afternoon of Nov. 10, the result of a warehouse fire at the Metropolitan Sewerage District’s treatment facility in Woodfin. According to a Facebook post by the West Buncombe Volunteer Fire Department, the scale of the blaze led Buncombe County Emergency Management to call for assistance from all of the county’s fire departments, as well as personnel from neighboring counties.

The cause of the fire remained unknown as of press time, and neither Buncombe County nor the MSD had issued a press release addressing the incident. However, WLOS has reported that the fire began in an unoccupied building used to store equipment for both the MSD and a construction contractor for the district. No impacts on sewage treatment operations are anticipated.

No injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of the fire, but a photo submitted by Xpress reader Xavier Hooper shows that at least some of the warehouse’s metal walls have apparently fallen in. The Buncombe County Fire Marshal’s office plans to conduct further investigation.

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About Daniel Walton
Daniel Walton is the former news editor of Mountain Xpress. His work has also appeared in Sierra, The Guardian, and Civil Eats, among other national and regional publications. Follow me @DanielWWalton
View all posts by Daniel Walton →

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