VIDEO: Explosion, fire damages Lancaster UPS warehouse
LANCASTER - An explosion and fire damaged a UPS warehouse and several big-rig trailers in Lancaster Monday.
According to fire officials, a caller reported the explosion just before 9 a.m. at the facility on 290 W. Avenue.
The loud explosion shook the whole building, facility employees told FOX 11. According to employees, the fire started after something ignited near a propane tank, near where packages were being loaded.
The fire quickly spread in the large warehouse, as employees ran out of the building, hearing more explosions as they made their way out.
Video posted to Citizen App shows dark plumes of smoke visible in the area.
"Scary! It was pop, pop,pop pop" said one shaken employee. Drivers tried to move some of the trucks out, but the fire quickly spread to dozens of vehicles, loaded with packages. One employee was transported by colleagues to a local hospital, with minor burns to his face and hands. He is expected to make a full recovery. What will take a while is figuring out how many packages were lost. At least 25 delivery vehicles s and 10 semi trucks were all but destroyed, along with their contents.
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Around 70 firefighters worked to contain the fire. Authorities said the fire was knocked down just after 10 a.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
UPS has issued the following statement to FOX 11:
"We are cooperating with local authorities on the scene but do not have additional information to share at this time."
The company also said it's working to notify everyone whose packages may have been affected by the fire. Customers can track their packages through the UPS website here or through UPS My Choice.
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City News Service contributed to this report.