OCFA - Major structure explosion - Two dead, Two injured

Officials: Water heater probably caused deadly blast
Explosion at Rancho Santa Margarita manufacturer killed 2 workers. By

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – An explosion at a manufacturing plant that killed two people and injured two other employees Thursday night is believed to have been caused by an industrial process water heater, offiicials said today.

The explosion rocked an industrial part of the city Thursday night, cracking the concrete walls of the building and waking up firefighters from a station across the street.

Firefighters from station 45 at first believed a truck had crashed into a building because of the commotion, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority.

The firefighters ran outside just after 11:30 p.m. and saw that an explosion had occurred at Solus Industrial Innovatoion, 30152 Aventura Ave., McKeown said.

"They heard the explosion, came out of the station, immediately went into action," McKeown said.

The blast damaged the industrial building, including its façade and back wall, which bulged out from the force of the explosion. The blast from the water heater, in the rear of the building where six employees were working at the time, pushed equipment into the walls of the building.

Four employees were outside of the building when firefighters approached. They said that two people were still inside the plant, McKeown said.

"There was no fire," McKeown said. "There's a lot of damage to the building."

Firefighters went inside the building and found two people dead, he said.

Two employees were taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo to be treated for minor injuries. Two other workers refused medical treatment.

Authorities are currently at the scene investigating the cause of the blast, but it is believed it was caused by a large industrial process electric water heater, McKeown said.

The blast was strong enough to make two holes in the ceiling.

McKeown said the two people killed appeared to have suffered severe trauma and no burns. When firefighters went inside, they found roofing material scattered on the ground, insulation hanging and several broken pipes.

"There's a lot of damage inside," he said.

The force broke several fire sprinkler pipes as well, igniting the fire alarm.

Firefighters with the Fire Authority's Hazmat team searched the area, but found no hazardous materials that would be of an immediate concern, McKeown said.

City officials expressed sorrow about the events.

“I’m in shock,” said Council Member Tony Beall, when informed of the incident. “We don’t usually have something like this happen in this city.”

“My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives,” Beall said.

Deputies have blocked traffic in the area on Aventura Avenue for both sides of traffic, said Lt. Ted Boyne of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Traffic is blocked from Gilberto to Tomas.

According to an online profile, the company makes conveyor chains and sprockets.

Source: www.ocregister.com - Link
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Late Night Explosion Kills 2 near Los Angeles

Two people were killed and two others wounded in a late-night explosion on Thursday at a plastics plant in Orange County near Los Angeles, authorities said on Friday.

The Orange County Fire Department (OCFD) said arson investigators were looking into the explosion Thursday night which occurred near an OCFD station, said Fire Capt. Greg McKeown.

He said several firefighters heard the boom which "sounded like a large truck had run into something."

At least six workers were inside the building at the time of the explosion, and four were standing outside when firefighters arrived, McKeown said.

Firefighters recovered the bodies of two men at the back of the building, where the explosion was centered, and the two men were pronounced dead at the scene, McKeown said.

At least two others were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, he said.

Authorities blamed the explosion on an electrical water heater, which they said erupted with such force that it shot straight up through the business' roof and then fell back inside the building to the ground.

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