The ground shook and flames leapt to the sky, however, only one worker was injured yesterday during an explosion that engulfed AmeriGas Propane Inc., in Willoughby, Ohio.
AmeriGas, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., is one of the country''s largest propane distributors.
Witnesses said the heat and black smoke from the explosion were incredible.
Emergency personnel were shocked when they arrived at the scene to find only one AmeriGas employee injured.
The employee was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor burn injuries and was later released.
Propane is stored as an extreme cold liquid in pressure tanks.
If the tank is heated, the liquid turns into gas and can burst the tank. Once exposed to air, propane is highly flammable and can burn from heat or a simple spark.
Residents and businesses within a half-mile radius were temporarily evacuated from the area.
Fire officials were unclear as to how the fire started and expect to take several days to estimate damages.
Inspectors from the Cleveland office of OSHA will visit the site to day in order to conduct an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
by Virginia Sutcliffe