RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – An explosion at a manufacturing plant that killed two people and injured two other employees working the night shift inside is believed to have been caused by an industrial process water heater, offiicials said.
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, located in the rear of the building where six employees were working that night, 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 OCFA's Hazmat team searched the area, but found no hazardous materials that would be of an immediate concern, McKeown 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.
