Neighbor hears huge blasts, sees fireball

CHAMPION — Ten area fire departments and a hazardous materials response team were on the scene of an explosion and fire Monday night at a former plastics plant on Kincaid East Road.

Neighbors’ windows rattled and there was a huge fireball, a witness said.

“It’s almost in our backyard,” said Sam Amoline, 19, of 4507 Kincaid East Road N.W., who said he and his sister Elizabeth, 17, were in the house when the first blast occurred.

“I actually felt two explosions ... It was around 4:45 - 5’ish,” he said. “I looked out our back window and I actually saw fire coming out of what looked like our woods.”

A Trumbull County 911 dispatcher said she did not believe nearby homes were evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

“They got it under control really fast,” Amoline noted.

This particular building was believed to be a closed warehouse, formerly Pacal Plastics, the dispatcher said, but propane was at the site. The 4445 Kincaid East address is listed as Bloom Industries.

Amoline explained that the building had changed hands recently. “That’s why I was wondering why there was a fire there. I thought nobody was in it.”

“There was something back there causing huge explosions. You could feel them,” Amoline said — adding he saw a fireball.