Some workers returned to Screen Tight on Monday as the investigation continued into the cause of a destructive weekend blaze at the plant on U.S. 17 South.
The screen door-production line was down, but employees made outdoor wooden trim and shipped finished screen doors, said Al Burns, economic development director for Georgetown County.
County officials will look for ways to help return the plant to full production but have not met to discuss ways to help the plant recover, said Burns, who was at the location Monday morning.
The State Law Enforcement Division's arson team continues to investigate the fire, SLED spokeswoman Kathryn Richardson said. She would not comment on whether the fire was considered suspicious.
The blaze started in an upstairs office and spread to one of three buildings on the site, sending smoke billowing over the four-lane highway.
A nearby mobile home park, Horry-Georgetown Technical College and the Georgetown National Guard Armory were evacuated, fire officials said.
Students in an early childhood education seminar at Horry-Georgetown Tech were hit by waves of smoke as they left the building for a noon break, school Provost Bryan England said.
At least 40 students were at the school when the fire broke out, he said.
England said he could see the smoke from the Sampit River Bridge and thought the school was on fire.
"As I got closer, I kept seeing that smoke," England said. "I worried whether it was the campus. I was hoping the campus wasn't on fire, but I knew it was close."
A Red Cross shelter was established at Georgetown Presbyterian Church late Saturday, said Sandra Quinn, director of the Georgetown Red Cross. Five men arrived at the shelter at 11:30 p.m., she said. The evacuees were Screen Tight employees who live in the mobile home park on U.S. 17 South, Quinn said.
Red Cross volunteers spoke to the men through an interpreter.
"They seemed comfortable and relaxed," she said. "The next morning, we had breakfast for them, and they left later that morning."
Traffic was blocked on U.S. 17 while firefighters from across the county fought the blaze Saturday.
Traffic was flowing in a normal pattern Monday.
Regular classes at Horry-Georgetown Tech are on break until next week, England said.
The college was not damaged by the smoke.
"I talked to the early childhood education class instructor this morning, and she said everything was fine," England said.
About 50 screen door-production employees will be without work until the damage is repaired at Screen Tight.
The blaze did not damage a shipping area for Screen Tight or the Royal Wood building, which is next to Screen Tight, company officials said.
The Royal Wood plant and Screen Tight are owned by Guerry Green, interim chairman of the Santee Cooper board of directors.
The administrative offices of Screen Tight were moved to another building in Georgetown.
Distributed by the Associated Press
