Just after 8:30 this morning, firefighters responded to a report of an explosion in a metal recycling facility near the intersection of 8th Avenue South and South Chicago Street in the South Park neighborhood. When firefighters arrived on the scene they found a warehouse with the fiberglass windows blown off and large garage doors bowing out.
Representatives from Independent Metals Recycling told firefighters that ten employees were inside the building when the explosion occurred. Paramedics treated two employees for minor injuries and one of those patients was transported to Harborview Medical Center for evaluation.
Firefighters entered the structure with hose lines and found that the automatic sprinkler system had extinguished any fire. A hazardous materials crew monitored the air quality before anyone was allowed back in the building. Despite debris from fallen ceiling tiles and fiberglass windows firefighters determined that the building was structurally sound.
The accidental explosion was caused by a metal propane tank inadvertently placed into a metal recycling shredder. Damage was estimated at $175,000. Approximately 100 Seattle Firefighters responded to the incident.
