An explosion at a scrap metal and electronics recycling yard was powerful enough to shake people in the surrounding neighborhood out of their beds, according to residents who lived through the early-morning blast. The explosion happened at around 7:30 in the morning at the Aero Metal and E-Waste Recycling facility on Lincoln Avenue, sending a jolt through the area and drawing a heavy emergency response.
Investigators said the blast was set off while employees were working in the yard at the facility. According to authorities, a tank was damaged during the course of that work, and the damage to the tank triggered the explosion that followed, turning a routine morning at the scrapyard into the scene of a sudden and violent incident.
The force of the explosion was felt well beyond the property line. Some people living nearby said the noise was so loud that it shook them out of bed, an indication of just how strong the blast was as it echoed through the neighborhood in the early hours of the day before many residents had even started their morning.
Images from the scene captured the aftermath of the blast. A photo taken earlier in the day showed a fire truck spraying down charred debris, with scorched material scattered across the yard where the explosion had torn through. Crews worked to douse the wreckage and make the area safe as the response unfolded.
Despite the power of the explosion, the human toll was limited. Investigators said two people suffered minor injuries in the incident, a relatively small number given how forcefully the blast was felt by those living around the recycling yard. There was no indication of more serious casualties as the day went on.
Authorities continued to look into exactly how the tank came to be damaged and what led to the explosion at the recycling operation. For neighbors jolted awake by the blast, the morning served as a startling reminder of the industrial activity next door, as investigators worked to piece together the sequence of events at the Lincoln Avenue yard.