WAUKESHA — Officials with the City of Waukesha says police and firefighters responded to an explosion at Airgas on Sentry Drive Thursday afternoon.
The city says shortly before 2:00 p.m. Thursday, police and firefighters received multiple calls of an explosion near Airgas in Waukesha. When crews responded, they talked to Airgas representatives who said they had an explosion in the Hydrogen storage area of the plant.
All workers were out of the plant area and accounted for. They also identified that a number of small cylinders were leaking and a small fire was in that area.
Firefighters were able to isolate the area around the plant to make sure the community was safe before they put out the fire. A number of damaged tanks were left to finish venting.
The city says one Airgas employee was treated at the scene by Waukesha Fire Department personnel, but refused further treatment or transport.
Waukesha Police and Fire are working with Airgas Representatives to determine the cause of the explosion. All roads in the area are back up for business, and none of the neighboring businesses were closed due to this incident.
In a statement, Airgas says their top priority "is the safety of our associates, customers, and the communities in which we operate. We appreciate the assistance and ongoing collaboration with the City of Waukesha and local first responders."
