A 3,300-gallon tank full of asphalt exploded later Monday afternoon at an Owens Corning plant in Jessup, Md.
Plant officials said the plant will reopen Tuesday morning, but workers should call before reporting to see if they are needed.
Officials said the asphalt stored at the plant is used to make shingles for home construction.
Fire from the tank filled the sky when the tank exploded, responding firefighters said.
The fire started around 5:30 p.m. Monday evening. Firefighters from Howard and Anne Arundel counties responded to keep the fire from spreading to nearby tanks.
It took about two hours for the fire to be contained, but firefighters stayed at the plant overnight to monitor the situation.
Howard County Fire Department spokesman William Mould said, "In the initial explosion, the top of the tank was blown off." He said firefighters had to get above the tank in order to put the extinguishing product on the asphalt.
The plant is located in an industrial area so no residents were affected by the fire. And, plant officials said no workers were injured.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for more information.
Copyright 2006 by nbc4.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
