Winnsboro factory fire puts jobs on hold, closes roads

By Deric Rush

Published: Aug. 17, 2026 at 7:41 PM EDT|Updated: 14 hours ago

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) – A massive industrial fire that reignited overnight has destroyed the MLily USA mattress factory in Winnsboro, forcing major road closures, sparking environmental monitoring, and leaving hundreds of employees in a close-knit community facing sudden job loss.

Emergency crews from across the state remained on the scene Monday evening, battling a fire that has been burning continuously since late Sunday night. Officials warned it could be Tuesday before the active blaze is completely extinguished.

The Challenge of Water-Resistant Foam

The fire first began Sunday morning around 9 a.m. when a smoke alarm sounded at the plant. Fairfield County Fire Department crews initially brought the fire under control and contained it to a small area by Sunday evening.

However, at 11:30 p.m., the fire reignited and quickly tore through the entire production facility.

Firefighters faced unique obstacles trying to douse the flames inside the factory due to the tight layout and the chemical makeup of the materials used to manufacture mattresses.

“The foam is in a conveyor racking system that’s multi-levels high,” said Fairfield County EMS Chief Jamie Webb. “It’s very large pieces of foam. It’s hard to access in the locations it’s in. And that’s what created a challenge with it. It’s close quarters and a lot of material in one spot.”

In addition to the physical layout, the foam used in the mattresses is highly flammable yet water-resistant, making it incredibly difficult to fully put out. The stubborn nature of the chemical fire forced local agencies to request statewide reinforcements to handle the expanding scene.

Road Closures and Community Disruptions

As thick, black smoke drifted across Fairfield County, authorities shut down a major shipping corridor. Highway 321 South remains closed between Highway 34 and Highway 269, and officials expect it to stay blocked for the remainder of the day.

While local schools—including Fairfield County School District, Richard Winn Academy, and the STEM school—remained open on normal schedules, the detours heavily impacted school bus routes and morning commutes.

Bridgette Howell, a nearby gas station clerk, saw the flashing emergency lights and police blockades when she arrived for her shift early Monday morning.

“I turn into my job, then the customers start coming in telling me that the building was on fire,” Howell said. She added that the roadblock created a massive headache for her regulars. “It did mess up some customers. I mean, that go straight down 321, they had to detour 34, and then some of them had to go all the way around and come up 269.”

EPA Called in to Monitor Environmental Impact

Because of the heavy chemicals and foam stored inside the facility, local officials requested assistance from the federal government.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES) brought in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor air and water runoff around the site.

“Any time you have a large fire, an industrial fire, there is runoff. And it gets into creeks. That’s just a side effect of any fire you have to fight,” said Fairfield County Administrator Vic Carpenter. “Contractors have already been brought on to start managing that. That’s one of the key things that EPA will be checking.”

State environmental officials and the EPA are currently analyzing air quality readings. Both agencies report that there is currently no hazardous air threat to the public, though they are still waiting on official finalized test results.

Local officials have urged residents to avoid the area due to shifting smoke plumes that can suddenly drop driving visibility to zero.

Sudden Job Loss Hits Close-Knit Town

The economic impact of the total loss of the facility is expected to be deeply felt. MLily USA is one of Fairfield County’s largest employers, sustaining several hundred local jobs.

While county officials say employees worked a condensed shift Sunday morning, they stressed employees safely evacuated when the fire broke out, and no injuries have been reported among factory staff or first responders.

Verdan Glover, who has worked as a groundskeeper at MLily since March, said employees had been warning management about maintenance and safety issues for months.

“I knew it was going to happen. Eventually. I knew it was going to happen,” Glover said. “Something. It was like the Bible. It was either going to be by water or by fire.”

Glover said that the factory’s equipment was constantly breaking down and that employees had suggested shutting down the plant temporarily to make necessary repairs, but management patched over the issues instead.

Now, Glover and hundreds of others are left without jobs.

“Life goes on. I’m just going to get another job. Especially after they see this,” Glover said, though he acknowledged the devastating impact this will have on colleagues who have fewer options. “Instead of taking those two weeks off [to fix things], now you don’t have a job at all.”

Fairfield County PIO Gene Stephens echoed the emotional toll on the community.

“This hurts a community like ours. We have such a close-knit community here,” Stephens said. “And something like this impacts a lot of people. Some are waking up today not knowing… they don’t have a job right now.”

MLily USA Releases Statement

In a statement sent to WIS on Monday afternoon, MLily USA officials expressed appreciation for local emergency crews and asked the public for patience:

“The fire at our facility remains an active scene at this time. Our immediate priority is the safety of our employees, first responders, and the surrounding community. Emergency personnel are on site and actively working to contain the fire, and we are cooperating fully with their response efforts. Because this is an active and developing situation, we do not yet have complete information regarding the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage. We are not aware of any injuries to individuals at this time.

We will provide additional information as it becomes available and can be confirmed. We are grateful to the first responders working at the scene and appreciate the community’s patience as emergency crews continue their response.”

https://www.wistv.com/2026/08/17/winnsboro-factory-fire-puts-jobs-hold-closes-roads