Explosions echoed through Piscataway as a fire raged at a PepsiCo plant, as more than 100 firefighters battled the flames for hours. NBC New York’s Jessica Cunnington reports.
Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing into the air as a massive fire raged at a PepsiCo factory in New Jersey, video showed.
It was not immediately clear when the blaze at the Piscataway facility erupted, or what may have sparked it, but Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler said that it started on the outside of the building. But video taken Tuesday evening showed massive flames shooting up from the roof of the plant, and damage inside is believed to be extensive.
Flames and smoke could be seen from miles away. More than 100 firefighters from across the state worked to douse the inferno, including New Jersey Forest Fire Crews, at the ready because of the heavily wooded area that surrounds the plant that has been in use since the 1980s.
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Wahler said that two firefighters were injured while battling the flames, one who was hospitalized with heat exhaustion, the other with a shoulder sprain.
PepsiCo said that details of how the fire started will be investigated, and that first responders were at the scene working to ensure that the fire is under control and quickly put out. The company said that all employees and people who were in the facility were evacuated, with no civilian injuries reported.
Many of the larger flames had been knocked down by 10:30 p.m., but firefighters will be at the scene through the night to prevent any hotspots from flaring up, Wahler said. A few embers did make their way onto nearby trees, but were quickly extinguished.
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"Fire appears to be spreading from the membrane of the roof at this point, so I believe this is going to be a long night until it gets knocked down," Wahler said.
The fumes from the fire do not seem to be hazardous at this point, Wahler said.
There were unconfirmed reports of propane tank explosions, but Wahler said it could have been CO2 tanks used in the bottling process that exploded from the heat.
The site is a production and distribution facility, where a variety of the company's products are produced, PepsiCo said. Wahler said that the building is a main bottling plant in the tri-state for Mountain Dew, Aquafina and iced teas.
