TOWN OF GRAND CHUTE (NBC 26) — Authorities say it could have been much worse. Just after 10 a.m. Thursday, fire crews and police responded to reports of an explosion at a recycling business in the Town of Grand Chute.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and even saw debris scattered into nearby yards along the 3300 block of West Highview Drive.
When the Grand Chute Fire Department arrived, they found the blast had happened while employees were cutting old gas cylinders with heavy machinery. Investigators say one of those cylinders—a large compressed natural gas tank—still had pressure inside. When it was accidentally cut, it exploded.
Pieces of the cylinder traveled as far as 100 yards. The equipment used in the work suffered minor damage, but thankfully, no one was injured.
Crews stayed on scene for about 45 minutes to make sure the area was safe and assist with the investigation.
Officials are using the incident as a reminder to handle pressurized containers with extreme caution.
No further details have been released.
