A late-Thursday fire destroyed the Maund Industries contracting business along Route 88 in California Borough, leaving the building totaled and the company without its equipment. Fifteen fire crews responded as explosions involving tires and propane tanks were reported. The cause remained unclear.
Flames And Explosions Overwhelm Crews
The first fire call came in just before 10:30 p.m. Thursday, according to CBS News. California Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Hartley told the station that 15 fire crews responded and the Maund Industries building was totaled.
CBS reported that explosions involving tires and propane tanks occurred during the fire. The blaze destroyed all of Maund Industries' equipment, and its cause remained unclear at the time of the report.
Propane Hazards In Fires
The U.S. Fire Administration warns that liquefied petroleum gas cylinders exposed to fire can undergo a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, or BLEVE. That general hazard guidance does not establish what happened to the propane tanks at Maund Industries or what precautions responders took at this scene.
Smoke Visible Across The Area
Separately, WPXI reported that members of the South Brownsville Volunteer Fire Company said crews were called to Wood Street in California Borough at 10:45 p.m. Photos shared with the station showed thick smoke pouring into the sky at the location, and drivers were asked to avoid the area while crews worked.
A Local Contracting Fixture
CBS reported that Maund Industries, along Route 88 in California Borough, describes itself as a general contractor offering asphalt and concrete paving, excavating and hauling, and masonry supplies. The fire destroyed the company's equipment; no further details about the business's plans have been reported.
