An explosion tore through a manufacturing plant in Burlington Township, New Jersey, on Thursday night, trapping a dozen workers inside a burning building before they were safely evacuated, authorities said.
The blast at American Custom Drying on Elbow Lane sent heavy fire racing through the second and third floors just before 9:30 p.m., according to Burlington Township Fire Administrator Stephen Fazekas.
For a stretch of minutes, the employees were believed trapped in the burning structure. But when emergency crews arrived, all 12 had escaped and were accounted for, officials said.
The building housed industrial chemicals, prompting a hazardous materials declaration as a precaution. Firefighters worked methodically to knock down flames while hazmat teams monitored conditions. Officials said there is no risk of chemical exposure to the public.
Aerial footage from CBS News Philadelphia showed crews dousing the charred wreckage, the building’s upper floors gutted and smoldering in the night.
Fazekas said the second floor sustained significant structural damage but emphasized the community faces no chemical threat.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.