JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
More than 70 firefighters and every hazardous-materials unit in Jacksonville battled what a spokesman called a "hellish inferno" that followed an explosion of an industrial facility on Faye Road, just off state Road 9A north of Heckscher Drive.
Just over two hours later, a Jacksonville Fire-Rescue spokesman confirmed that three people died and 14 people were transported to area hospitals. There may be other people missing.
After the initial explosion, thick, black smoke and flames could be seen billowing from the area for 90 minutes. Callers to Channel 4 described a flash, an explosion and a mushroom cloud about 1:30 p.m.
"This was unlike any noise I'm sure any of us have ever heard," Kevin, who works at the port on Blount Island, told Channel 4. "It literally shook the whole building. We walked outside and saw what was reminiscent of a nuclear explosion -- that kind of cloud formation you see when a nuclear explosion goes off."
Hospitals were put on mass-casualty alert and Channel 4 reporters saw several rescue units leaving the scene with lights and sirens.
Initially, six people were reported missing, but three of them have been accounted for, Francis said.
"The incident is so violent and the fire is still so volatile ... we have not been able to ascertain directly yet what materials are present," Francis said in announcing that a one-half mile radius was being evacuated. That evacuation was lifted just after 4 p.m. after the fire was under control and air monitoring showed no presence of hazardous chemicals.
Channel 4 was told the explosion was at T2 Labs, a chemical company that makes solvents and gasoline additives.
"It was a pandemonium," said Byron Ebetts, an engineer working at the JEA plant who is also a trained rescue worker. "It was a large explosion.... Best we could tell, there was no structure left. It was like the entire structure had been removed."
"There was like this tremendous boom like I've never heard in my life," said Shannon Story, who works nearby. "Everything shook in the building, the power went out, light bulbs fell from ceiling. We all evacuated as fast as we could."
"I saw this humongous, huge fire, flames," said a Channel 4 viewer named Beverly. "The flames must have went up 20 stories tall. It wasn't a moment that a mushroom cloud appeared."
While people in the area initially thought the explosion was at one of the JEA's two Northside generating stations, the site is a couple miles away. The JEA said the concussion knocked two of their generating units off-line briefly. The facilities are being evacuated of all but essential personnel.
"The explosion rocked my house," Carlton Higginbotham said.
While there was not specific information about evacuations, the Red Cross opened Oceanway Elementary School as a shelter. Little Temple Child Care Center was evacuated and the children and workers relocated to Oceanway Elementary.
Police have blocked traffic on Faye Road between Alta Drive and New Berlin Road.
This story will be updated as details become available. There'll be live updates on the local station throughout the afternoon and on newscasts beginning at 5 p.m.
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