Hartford explosion, fire at industrial park injures 5 people

Hartford Fire Department

A reported explosion and fire at a Hartford industrial park injured several people on Thursday morning, July 3.  

What we know:

Hartford Fire & Rescue was called to a fire around 5:45. It happened at the Dodge Industrial Park, and callers reported there was an explosion.

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First responders arrived to find smoke showing from the roof and an open overhead door. Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, which was in multiple locations inside the building. The impacted area was isolated to one area of the building.

Special tactics were needed to extinguish some of the flames due to molten metal being involved, which "would react violently" to traditional tactics. 

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In all, five patients were treated. Three of those patients were taken to hospitals. Flight for Life was requested to transport the most critical patient to a trauma center.

No fire or EMS personnel were injured during this incident. However, EMS did assist firefighters who were battling high outdoor temperatures in addition to the heat of the fire itself.

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What we don't know:

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The State Fire Marshal's Office was requested to help due to the nature of the incident and the injuries involved.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was also at the scene to conduct its own investigation. 

The Source: Hartford Fire & Rescue released information used in this story.

HartfordNews