Former fire chief says politics trumped safety at Hyundai megasite

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A former Bryan County fire chief is alleging county leaders prioritized speed and politics over fire safety at the Hyundai megasite construction project.

Matthew Burns, who was hired as fire chief in January 2025 and terminated in August during his probationary period, said safety warnings were treated as optional on the biggest economic development project in Georgia’s history.

Burns was hired two years into the Hyundai project. At the time of his hiring, Bryan County said Burns had “a distinguished career spanning 33 years in public safety” including “numerous leadership roles, emergency response expertise, and a deep commitment to community service.”

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Burns said his role in safety oversight was never clearly defined by the county.

“I don’t think there was any defined role, per se. The county didn’t discuss it a whole lot with me,” Burns said.

Pressure to keep project moving

Burns said what was clear was the pressure to keep the project moving forward.

“They took the time to brief me that there’s a lot that goes on there, that it’s a big project for the county and obviously that the governor is very concerned about it and was very involved in it,” Burns said. “No matter what it came down to, they were never going to say no to Hyundai.”

Bryan County records show building inspections and building plan reviews on the Hyundai project were contracted out to an outside company from the groundbreaking through September 30 of this year.

A Bryan County spokesperson said outside contractors were needed because “given the size, complexity, and pace of the Hyundai project, it would not have been feasible for our staff to independently manage inspections at that site while continuing to meet the county’s ongoing inspection needs.”

Fire marshal authority limited

Burns said his own fire marshal, who he described as highly qualified, had limited authority on the site.

“They don’t have ordinances that are in place to give him the proper authority that he needs,” Burns said.

According to the county, the outside contractor’s team “also has experience with fire inspections and plan reviews and was able to support that aspect of the project in coordination with the Fire Marshal, who remained an active part of the inspection team and overall process.”

Burns said lack of support for the fire marshal allowed serious hazards on the site, especially inside the HL-GA Battery Company.

“At any given time during the construction phase, there were numerous generators in there running. If there’s an engine running inside a building, there’s carbon monoxide present,” Burns said.

Burns said the fire marshal carried a carbon monoxide detector while on the site, which regularly went off.

Internal emails show enforcement challenges

Internal county emails obtained by WTOC Investigates show officials were aware of challenges enforcing safety at the site.

In one email, Audra Miller, the director of Bryan County Community Development, wrote that the original contracted project manager was “very diligent about monitoring life safety issues” but his replacement “has told me very clearly that he is an inspector only and does not really do life safety.”

Miller also warned Burns ahead of a meeting with Hyundai and LG leaders that county staff would be outnumbered “often 10 to 1” and that if officials needed to deny a request, they would have to say no “at least three times.”

“They were looking for someone to always say yes to them,” Burns said.

Water shut off during battery testing

Burns described one incident as especially dangerous. A whistleblower alerted the fire department that water meant to eventually feed fire hydrants at the site was shut off, but battery testing continued.

Burns said the fire marshal wanted to halt battery testing until the water could be turned back on, so he notified the Community Development Department of his decision. He says he doesn’t know if his decision was overridden by county officials or contracted inspectors, but later learned testing continued anyway.

“They let them just keep going with full knowledge that there was no water to fight a fire,” Burns said.

Burns called the incident an example of a larger problem he said comes from the top down.

“The bigger concern was keeping the plant operational at all times, safe or unsafe. Bryan County did not care.” Burns said.

Burns said he believes he lost the job because he pushed back on how the county ran not just the Hyundai project, but the fire department as a whole.

READ: Bryan County fire chief ‘separated’ from department

HL-GA Battery Company said it coordinated with the Bryan County Fire Department and various county officials to review and manage site conditions typical of a large, active construction project.

“During construction, interim safety measures were put in place as permanent systems were installed and tested. The facility has since been issued a Certificate of Occupancy and is currently operational for sample production and testing, and we continue to invest in training to ensure a safe and compliant workplace,” said Mary Beth Kennedy, Senior Public Relations Specialist for HL-GA Battery Co.

We reached out to Bryan County for comment on allegations that battery testing continued at the megasite despite a lack of water to fight fires, and that county officials prioritized speed and politics over safety at the site. A spokesperson sent a statement, saying the County “does not agree” with Burns’ recollection of the story:

“Testing was allowed to continue at the HLGA facility after a plan was devised by the Fire Marshal, with knowledge of the Chief. We do not agree with Mr. Burns recollection of the account. We are disappointed that he would make such inaccurate statements for the seemingly purpose of inflaming the emotions and passions of the community.”