“It was like a mushroom cloud,” Heider said. Within minutes of posting her photos to social media, more that 50 other residents said they heard and felt the same noise that sounded like an “explosion.”
“It was a little disconcerting. I have never heard a big boom like that before,” Heider said. The smoke seemed to dissipate after about five minutes, she said.
Shawn Coffey, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1943, said the incident was “nothing major” and caused no injuries or damage to equipment. He said what caused the incident is still under investigation.
Coffey said he went into the plant to check on union members.
“No one was put in a bad spot,” he said. “All is well.”
He said the plant never stopped operations.
Middletown Fire Chief Tom Snively said a number of people called the city building about the sound and smoke. A fire captain on the road near the blast furnace area was seeing the same thing, but the fire department was not called to the facility.
“We were never sent there. I have not talked to them. I would imagine it was something in their process that they were control of,” Snively said. “We have a good working relationship with them and they normally call us when the needs us.”
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