A fire and explosion Feb. 9 at a Parker Lord chemical plant in Saegertown, Pennsylvania, led to at least 13 injuries and significant damage to the facility.
Six firefighters and seven plant workers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
As of Feb. 11, the possible cause of the accident was not immediately known. Operations at the facility are suspended as the damage is assessed, Christopher Farage, vice president of international HR and external affairs for Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin, the parent company of Parker Lord, said in an email to the Erie Times-News.
Authorities lifted a shelter-in-place order for residents around the facility once the fire was extinguished.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection stated Saegertown's air quality is good and will continue to be monitored, as will water quality.
Parker Lord Corp. in Saegertown is a specialty chemicals, adhesives and coatings manufacturing facility with more than 235 employees.
The facility recently underwent an $80 million expansion in 2023, adding 75,000 square feet to its already existing 250,000-square-foot facility, said news station WJET.
A spokesperson from The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it would investigate the incident.
