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Explosions send smoke over St. LouisNo injuries reported in plant fire
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- A fire erupted Friday afternoon in steamy St. Louis at a plant that supplies atmospheric and specialty gases, including propane. The explosion sent huge balls of fire and black smoke into the air, as gas tanks exploded. The cause of the fire was not known. The temperature was reported to be 95 degrees in the city, with a heat index of 97. No injuries were reported from the blaze, which began about 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) at Praxair Inc., said fire department spokeswoman Kim Bacon. Bacon said firefighters are dealing with propane gases and will not enter the site until the danger of more explosions is over. Tim Cusick, manager of St. Louis Cremation, located near the plant, said flames were shooting as high as 50 feet in the air at the start of the fire. Across the street from the plant is a pipe company, he said. "There have never been problems that we've been aware of," Cusick said of the plant. Fire Chief Sherman George said that concerns about chlorine gas at the plant has prompted the closure of parts of U.S. Highway 40. The gas is stable, he said, but stays close to the ground when it spreads. All employees were evacuated from the site, said Susan Szita Gore, a company spokeswoman. The plant employs about 70 workers, she said, but she did not know how many were there Friday. Gore said the plant packages gases -- primarily acetylene that is used for welding -- by placing them into cylinders for distribution to customers. People were evacuated within five blocks of the fire, said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. "It's a highly volatile situation with these gases," he said. He said the fire was being contained and the air monitored. "This kind of situation is very rare for us. We do spend a lot of time on safety, and I think the fact that all our employees are safe is a testament to that," Gore said. She said she knows of no toxic gases at the location. Bacon said the fire department was focused on preventing the fire from spreading beyond the plant's property, which sits in a mostly industrial area south of downtown with some residences nearby. Part of Lafayette Square borders the small industrial area, and large homes are being rehabilitated, condos are being built and restaurants and retail shops are being developed in the neighborhood, a resident told CNN. 
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