SAEGERTOWN, Pa. — Several people were hurt in a fire and explosion at a manufacturing plant near Erie in Northern Pennsylvania.
In a press conference, Saegertown Fire Chief BJ Fleischer said firefighters were sent to Parker LORD Corporation’s facility in Saegertown just after 10:30 a.m. when an automatic fire alarm went off at the plant. This facility is located about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh.
Firefighters were met with heavy smoke upon arrival and shortly thereafter there was an explosion.
Chuck Lawrence with Saegertown Borough Emergency Management said 13 firefighters and plant personnel were sent to area hospitals with minor injuries or out of precaution for evaluation. A spokesperson for LORD Corporation said four employees were taken to hospitals out of precaution for evaluation.
One fireman was hurt from the explosion and is being treated.
“Several guys got some bumps and bruises, and I can tell you it’s really lucky there weren’t fatalities on this because of the extent of the explosion,” Lawrence said.
Firefighters were already inside the building at the time of the blast.
“They were in there fighting the fire,” said Lawrence. “They had been there for a few minutes fighting the fire when there was an explosion.”
Video shared by NBC News affiliate Erie News Now shows heavy smoke and significant damage to a building after the explosion.
Lawrence said residents within three miles of the plant were initially asked to shelter in place out of precaution, but that order has since been lifted.
Lawrence said a majority of the smoke blew into a wooded area and there’s no concern about hazardous chemicals. He also said there’s no concern about air quality.
The DEP will be monitoring the air and is also investigating any runoff.
“All the runoff right now has been able to be maintained on scene,” said Crawford County EMA Allen Clark.
The emergency manager said the water pressure from the hydrants was low because most of the water was being diverted into the plant after the explosion turned on the sprinklers. Lawrence said fire crews were able to use water from nearby creeks.
The Parker LORD plant makes materials used in the automotive, aerospace, industrial, and oil and gas industries.
Chris Farage, a spokesperson for the plant said operations have been suspended.
Farage sent a statement:
“We offer our sincere thanks to the local fire department, emergency management and first responders and wish all of those who were injured a speedy recovery. Once the investigation of the cause of the fire and explosion is complete, we will learn from this incident and continue to place the safety of our team members and our communities as our highest priority.”
A cause for the fire has not yet been determined. Parker LORD officials are determining what happened alongside local fire officials. That determination could “take awhile,” per Lawrence.
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