WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem officials confirmed Wednesday that the one-mile voluntary evacuation zone will remain in place, but they are not sure how long.

The fire at the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant is still burning, and emergency crews are letting it burn without interference by remaining behind the one-mile perimeter.

What You Need To Know

  • The Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant fire has forced Wake Forest University to cancel classes through Friday

  • Some Wake Forest University students have been couch-hopping and staying at hotels

  • Students who are just outside the 1-mile voluntary evacuation zone don't want to take any chances

The fire has forced Wake Forest University to cancel classes, and on Wednesday the school extended the cancellations through Friday.

 

 

Two students, Ashna Satpathy and Tabitha Cahan have been couch- and hotel-hopping.

“We might have to stay at the hotel again tonight because campus is really bad now,” Satpathy said.

Many Wake Forest students have had to evacuate their off-campus apartments due to the fire.

Related: Fertilizer plant fire continues after 40 hours, evacuation extended

Satpathy and Cahan are freshmen at WFU and live in a dorm right outside the one-mile perimeter, but they didn't want to take any chances.

“I hate to admit it, but I’ve just been mooching off my friends. I happened to stay with a few friends last night. I’m paying my share, don’t worry," Satpathy said. "They just happened to have a room, and I drove them there, so I stayed with them. Her parents happened to get her a room, so I stayed with her.” 

Their parents did not want them to take any chances either.

"My parents were like, 'You’re probably fine on campus, but just in case, you should stay in a hotel,'" Satpathy said."My parents were like, 'You’re probably fine on campus, but just in case, you should stay in a hotel,'" Satpathy said.

She said the smoke has affected some parts of campus more than others, but that changes with the wind.

“My roommate just texted me that our side of campus is pretty bad now," Satpathy said. "I guess things have changed, and nothing’s really immune to the smoke.”

While staying in downtown Winston-Salem, Satpathy has run into many of fellow students.

Wake Forest University keeps students updated with an alert system and is providing housing for any students who need to evacuate, but there's more than just shelter to think about.

“A lot of the dining options on campus are closed, and at this point it’s like, do I want to go back on campus and risk ingesting a lot of fumes to use my meal swipe and get a meal,” Satpathy said.

After the girls grabbed some food and coffee downtown, they headed back to the Fairfield Inn to prepare for another night, but their biggest concern is for how others who live in Winston-Salem are affected.

“Nobody knows how long they’re going to be evacuated for. I mean, yeah, staying in a hotel is expensive, and you can only crash on a couch for so long," Satpathy said. "I just hope this gets sorted out soon so this doesn’t take up too much of people's livelihoods.”