Sugar Refinery Explosion First Responders Honored

Almost one year since the Imperial Sugar Plant explosion took the lives of 14 people and injured dozens more, the community gathered Thursday night to remember the victims and to celebrate the men and women who helped on that tragic night.

The families of those who lost their lives and the survivors gathered at St. Philip Monumental AME Church for a tribute ceremony. 

The names of the dead and injured were read aloud, and then family members were invited to light candles in honor of their lost loved ones.

But it was also a night to give thanks, for victims like Shameir Frasier.

“I feel like I got a second chance at life, so I’m trying to do the best that I can do,“ says Frasier.

The community paid tribute to the first responders, from dozens of departments around the area, for their service through the tragedy.

“The Port Wentworth Fire Department initially led the way against a raging inferno, with only 5 full-time firefighters and 4 volunteers. That commitment goes a long way toward defining heroism,“ said Clayton Scott of the Chatham Emergency Management Agency.

That sentiment was echoed by victims and family members, who gave thanks to those who saved so many lives that night.
“First and foremost, I just wanted to tell you, thank you, thank god, and to the first responders, thank you for what you all have done also,“ says Lawrence Manker, one of the victims of the explosion.

For Chief Greg Long of the Port Wentworth Fire Department, there’s a message of hope as the anniversary of the explosion draws near.

“You have to look for the good that came out of all of this: the people, the support, the camaraderie of the firefighters, the way they work together, so we build on that, and as long as we continue to have this pushing us forward, knowing the fact that we can continue on, and we’ll be prepared for whatever’s brought to us,“ says Long.