An explosion rocked buildings in Campbell Industrial Park this afternoon, and smoke from the ensuing fire could be seen for miles.
A 35 year old man was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
The explosion happened just after three o'clock this afternoon at an auto junkyard at the corner of Kuhela and Hanua Streets.
Leeward Auto Wreckers owner Albert Ternora showed us the burnt excavator.
This is also where a stack of tires went up in flames.
"That's why it looked real large and had lots of smoke," said Ternora.
The billowing, thick black smoke could even be seen from the freeway.
"It's pretty intense, I'll say that," said witness Tom Freeman.
Tom Freeman works across the street, at Bekins Hawaiian Movers.
"All of a sudden there was a big explosion, shook the building. I thought the windows were going to pop out," said Freeman.
An acetelyne container, about the size of this cannister exploded.
"Apparently it was mixed up with the scrap," said Ternora.
Albert says his worker was sorting scrap with the excavator, and had just flipped over a car when the acetelyne container rolled out of the car.
"And he was with the excavator trying to move the tank but apparently either the valve busted off and it caused a spark and had an explosion," said Ternora.
Albert's worker, who also happens to be his son in law, was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
"He got burned because when the tank exploded apparently he had flash burns from it. He seems to be ok, he's just burned," said Ternora.
The fire broke out just after 3 o'clock, and firefighters brought the blaze under control within an hour.
Albert has owned Leeward Auto Wreckers for 40 years.
"Over the course of the years this is the third fire we've had. This is the first incident with a tank like that or anything explosive," said Ternora.
A fire investigator confirmed that the breeched acetelyne container caused the fire.
Damage is estimated at $300,000.
