BATON ROUGE, La.—An explosion and fire Friday at an automotive supply company in southeast Louisiana sent flames into the air and a tower of thick black smoke billowed above rural communities, forcing nearby residents and an elementary school to evacuate.
Officials said no injuries have been reported in the fire at Smitty’s Supply just north of the town of Roseland, but that everyone living within a one-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius must evacuate. Roseland, which is home to around 1,100 people, is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Baton Rouge.
