Two workers remained unaccounted for Tuesday morning after explosions tore through an industrial recycling business in Toledo, Ohio, sparking a major fire and a hazardous-materials response, officials said.
The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department said two explosions occurred at Brent Industries shortly before 5 a.m., according to reporting adapted from the Associated Press. Video from local TV news showed fire engines around the building as flames and thick smoke poured from the structure.
Explosions Hit During Shift Change
Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said the blasts happened during a shift change. A few workers suffered minor injuries, officials said.
Armstrong said the two unaccounted-for workers had been seen in the building before the explosion, but officials did not yet know whether they were trapped or simply unreachable by phone.
“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.”
Witnesses Felt the Shock Blocks Away
Demetrius Langston told the AP he felt the explosion from about half a mile away. He ran outside and recorded a large plume of smoke rising into the dark sky as police vehicles moved toward the scene.
“The shock waves came down the block,” Langston said. “Then we all heard it again. Boom! You could feel it.”
Local meteorologist Jay Berschback posted on X that two large booms woke him around 4:50 a.m., describing them as likely explosions tied to the fire on South Avenue in Toledo.
Cause Still Unknown
Armstrong said that as of about 7:30 a.m., a major fire was still burning at the site and at least half of the building had collapsed. She said officials had no preliminary indication of what caused the explosions.
Authorities urged the public to avoid the area while crews worked to extinguish the blaze.
A phone message was left for Brent Industries, according to the AP. The company is based in Brent, Alabama, and offers textile reconditioning and industrial recycling services, according to its website. The company says it was founded in Alabama in 1977 and operates in Brent and Toledo.
