Explosions and fire tear through Ohio industrial building, 2 workers unaccounted for

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Explosions rocked an Ohio industrial recycling business Tuesday morning, sparking a large fire that drew a swarm of emergency responders. Two workers were unaccounted for and a few others had minor injuries, officials said.

The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department said there were two explosions at Brent Industries shortly before 5 a.m. TV news video showed fire engines surrounding the building as flames and dark smoke poured from the structure.

Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said the explosions came during a shift change at the business. She said it was not immediately clear whether the two workers who were unaccounted for were OK and just not answering their phones, but they were seen in the building before the explosion.

“We’re working to contain the fire and account for all the employees right now,” Armstrong said. “They’ve got hazardous materials in there, so we’re dealing with chemicals and runoff and tanks that exploded.”

She added, “If we’re missing people and we’re not sure if they’re in there, I mean that’s just terrible. And so you know we’re hoping that we can just account for the remaining employees and get the fire under control.”

Demetrius Langston said he felt the explosion half a mile (0.8 kilometers) away. He ran outside with his phone and captured video of a huge plume of smoke rising into the dark sky. As police cars raced up the street, he worried the city was under attack.

“The shock waves came down the block,” he said. “Then we all heard it again. Boom! You could feel it.”

Armstrong said there was still a major fire at the site at around 7:30 a.m. and at least half the building collapsed. She also said there were no preliminary indications of what caused the explosions.

Authorities urged the public to stay away from the area as crews worked to extinguish the blaze.

A phone message was left for Brent Industries.

The company, based in Brent, Alabama, offers textile reconditioning and industrial recycling services aimed at reducing waste and saving money, according to its website. It was founded in Alabama in 1977 and has operations in Brent and Toledo.