'Shook the Earth': Chemical Plant Explosions Rock Florida Industrial Area

Several explosions occurred at a chemical plant in a Palm Bay, Florida, industrial area Tuesday morning, causing subsequent fires and smoke seen from miles away.

Fire authorities said the specific cause was still unclear during an early afternoon update, although Gaius Hall, assistant chief at the Palm Bay Fire Rescue Department, confirmed the blasts originated at the FAR Chemical plant near U.S. Highway 1. He attributed the explosions to a refrigeration issue that caused barrels of chemical solvent to catch fire.

The Palm Bay Police Department issued an alert around 11 a.m. EST on Tuesday to warn area residents of the explosion and resulting fires.

"Please avoid US 1 and the area of Conland /Palm Bay Rd due to fires from an explosion near US 1 and RJ Conlan," the department wrote on Twitter, alongside photos picturing a large cloud of dark gray smoke emanating from an area nearby. A row of industrial stacks are pictured beside the smoke in the photos.

Several witnesses told local newspaper Florida Today they heard more than one explosion just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Steve Sharkey, a marketing director at Palm Bay's Marine Resources Council, which is located a few blocks from the explosion site, said the initial blast "shook the earth."

"It was an awful explosion noise, like a rocket just went off over our heads," he told the newspaper. Sharkey said "multiple" explosions took place soon after the first one and recalled "red flames shooting hundreds of feet up in the air."

Sabrina McDonald, who lives in the surrounding neighborhood, said a "huge flame" appeared in the sky after the original explosion, according to Florida Today.

Firefighters from Palm Bay and two departments based in the adjacent Brevard County responded to the explosion after receiving initial reports Tuesday morning. Personnel were able to safely evacuate everyone inside the building where the explosion originated by 12 p.m., according to an update shared to Facebook by the Palm Bay Fire Rescue Department. The update confirmed no injuries were reported as a result of the explosion or subsequent fire.

"Crews were performing foam operations after a good knock down on the fire," the department wrote. It asked local residents to stay away from the surrounding area until further notice, although Hall noted evacuation procedures were only necessary for the chemical plant's employees during his update Tuesday afternoon. He said employees would return to clean up the area after firefighters completed their response.

Newsweek reached out to the Palm Bay police and fire departments for additional information and updates but did not receive replies in time for publication.