A late-night truck explosion in Colton shattered the quiet near a massive Walmart distribution center on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring another, according to officials.
The blast tore through an industrial yard at 3994 Miguel Bustamante Parkway at about 10:45 p.m., next to the Walmart facility, the Colton Fire Department told CBS Los Angeles. Authorities said the person who died has not yet been publicly identified.
ABC7 reported that technicians were working on hydrogen trucks in a storage area when one of the vehicles exploded. The blast left a trailer and a car completely engulfed in flames. Fire crews knocked down the blaze in about 20 minutes, then called in a hazardous-materials team to secure and clear the scene.
According to CBS Los Angeles, one person was pronounced dead at the site, and another suffered major injuries and was rushed to a hospital. Officials have not released additional information about the survivor's condition or the identity of the person who died as the inquiry continues.
What officials are investigating
Fire investigators have not yet pinpointed what triggered the explosion and say the cause remains under active review. Crews and hazmat specialists spent hours combing through the storage yard for physical evidence and structural damage. ABC7 noted that investigators appeared to focus on the area where technicians had been working on hydrogen-fueled vehicles shortly before the blast.
Hydrogen hazards and responder risks
The U.S. Department of Energy describes hydrogen as highly flammable and stresses that it must be handled with tight controls, leak monitoring, and specialized safety systems. That is one reason hazmat teams are routinely dispatched whenever a suspected hydrogen release or fire is reported.
DOE safety guidance highlights the need for dedicated training, planning, and gas detection sensors for firefighters and other first responders who operate around hydrogen equipment and vehicles.
Why this matters locally
Colton sits in the heart of the Inland Empire's sprawling warehouse and logistics corridor, an area packed with distribution centers, truck yards, and rail lines. That constant industrial activity brings jobs and goods, and it also packs heavy trucks, hazardous cargo, and accident risk into neighborhoods that sit on the warehouse front lines.
Local and regional reporting has tracked how the warehouse boom concentrates those risks near homes, schools, and small businesses. The Revelator has documented ongoing concerns about safety and environmental impacts in communities that border large distribution hubs.
Colton officials say they plan to release more information on the explosion as it becomes available. This story will be updated when the city or county provides additional details about the investigation or the victims.
