By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

GRAMERCY – A portion of River Road, or Louisiana Highway 44, in front of the Rain CII plant in Gramercy has reopened to traffic after being closed for a week when a fire destroyed the roof of one of the plant’s two calcined coke storage buildings.

St. James Parish spokesperson Melissa Wilkins said the road, which was closed as a precautionary measure while officials continued to investigate the fire, reopened about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. She said plant employees had been working to clear equipment from the top of the burned out building. Representatives from the Rain CII corporate office in Kingwood, Texas, said the plant is now in the recovery phase following the fire.

The fire broke out around 7:40 p.m. on June 6. The blaze, which was likely caused by a lightning strike from severe storms that evening, burned through the wooden roof of a storage dome containing calcined petroleum coke, a processed by-product of oil refining used in the aluminum smelting process.

The roof collapsed, but the fire did not seriously affect the material stored inside. The material is not hazardous and burning it poses no health threat.

St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel said volunteer fire departments from St. James and St. John the Baptist parishes responded to the scene, and the fire was under control later that night. Roussel said there were no injuries at the plant or among emergency responders as a result of the fire.