An explosion and fire in rural Morgan County sent one to the hospital this morning.
Fire Departments from Jacksonville, Alexander, and New Berlin responded to a call of a fire caused by an explosion at Sheppard’s Auto Salvage on Old Route 36 Friday morning.
Jacksonville Fire Department Captain Matt Sommers says the multiple departments dispatched at approximately 11:00 am. According to the report, workers at the site had been in the process of cutting up a decommissioned propane tank when the explosion occurred.
Sommers says fire from the explosion had spread to a large scrap pile containing rubber and metal shavings causing a large fire he says was like a giant hay bail that was engulfed by the time crews arrived.
One man was injured in the blast. Sommers says upon arrival EMS had the injured worker in an ambulance for transfer to meet with an AirEvac helicopter which then transported him to an area hospital with unspecified injuries.
Jacksonville Fire Department was on scene for approximately 90 minutes working with Alexander and New Berlin Fire Departments to bring the fire under control. Sommers says everyone on scene chipped in did a good job working together to extinguish the blaze. No firefighters were injured during the incident.