5 Injured as Explosion Ignites Fire at Plant
A fire ravaged a plant that manufactures hair- and skin-care products early Saturday, injuring five workers and sending dozens more fleeing from the burning building.
The fire at Pure Tek Inc., in the 1100 block of North Arroyo Avenue, started at 12:50 a.m. with a chemical explosion in a heavy-duty blending machine called a tumbler, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The blast was so powerful that it shattered skylights above the tumbler, Humphrey said.
Sprinklers kept the fire in check as 66 workers escaped the blaze and more than 80 firefighters arrived at the plant. The fire was extinguished in an hour, Humphrey said.
Four workers were treated at the scene and one was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center for treatment of respiratory problems caused by the fire. He was released Saturday morning, hospital officials said.
Humphrey said the amount of damage to the 50,000-square-foot, single-story building had not been tabulated.
The cause of the explosion and fire was still being investigated, Humphrey said.
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