MORGANTOWN – An explosion and subsequent three-alarm fire at a titanium production facility initiated a multi-county emergency response Monday night in Berks County.
Emergency responders from Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties responded to the Timet plant on Hemlock Road after an explosion rocked the area at 8:09 p.m.
Sources within area fire departments said local emergency responders were already inside the plant fighting a fire when the explosion hit. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
One source said they heard the explosion from their home about two to three miles away.
Timet is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of titanium and operates facilities in both the United States and Europe, according to the company’s website. Timet’s facilities specialize in the production of titanium parts used in the aerospace and defense industries.
The company’s facilities produce more than $1 billion in titanium sales each year. In December, Timet was sold to Precision Castparts Corp. for $2.9 billion, according to Bloomberg News.
As of 10 p.m. Monday additional emergency teams were still arriving from fire companies spread across the region. The Twin Valley Fire Company was leading the response.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
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