Fire, Explosions Reported at Louisville, Ky. Chemical Plant

A Kentucky chemical plant was evacuated Tuesday following a fire and a series of explosions, but no injuries were reported, the company said.

The blaze was reported about 10 a.m. EST at the BASF Corp. plant, which makes pigments for printing, ink, paint and plastics. The fire was contained to a piece of equipment, said John Schmidt, a company spokesman.

The site manager at the west Louisville plant indicated there appeared to be three minor explosions, the last occurring about 11:15 a.m., Schmidt said.

City firefighters were still working Tuesday afternoon to extinguish the blaze, Schmidt said.

Television footage also showed firefighters pouring water into a pipe emitting a yellowish-brown smoke.

About 20 employees were in the building where the fire broke out, and about 60 were on the site at the time, Schmidt said. The plant employs a total of 132 workers.

The entire plant remained closed, and there was no word when operations would resume, he said.

Marsha Sutton, who works at a nearby bar, said she heard explosions that shook the business.

“You could feel it,” she said.

Fire department spokesman Ronel Brown told WLKY-TV that a pigment made by the company was leaking and said that nearby residents were asked to stay inside. Brown said rail traffic near the plant was shut down.

Schmidt said officials were investigating to determine what caused the fire.

The company’s main headquarters are in Germany and its U.S. operations are based in Florham Park, N.J.

Topics Kentucky Chemicals