A fire at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant Monday night sent three workers to the hospital.
The flash fire broke out around 7:30 Monday evening in a building where explosives are made for the department of defense. Officials said in a statement, the fire was contained just after 8:00 pm and that it was sparked during the drying process of nitrocellulose, which is used to make ammunition. The blaze is still under investigation.
The three people who were injured are still in area hospitals. Their names and conditions have not been released. A spokeswoman for the Joint Munitions Command of the U.S. Army, says the their principle concern is the care and welfare of those injured.
Lt. Colonel Jim Scott credited the arsenal’s safety procedures with containing the fire quickly. No other injuries have been reported.
An official with BAE systems, which operates the facility in cooperation with the army, said, all related production at the arsenal is now suspended, indefinitely.