2 Transported to Hospital After Merrill Plant Explosion
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Two employees have been taken to the hospital after an explosion at Wire Products located at 1000 Mathews Street in Merrill. Two other workers were treated on scene.
According to the Merrill Fire Department, employees were having trouble igniting a manufacturing oven, and they believe that's what led to the explosion. The building's west side has been blown out.
"It appears they were trying to light a gas-fired oven and it exploded. There must have been some sort of leak or it didn't light right away," Cpt. Scott Krause said.
The explosion sent four nearby workers to the ground, including Brad Dittmer.
"It knocked me up against the wall and I landed on my butt and from there I just ran right outside," he said.
All 22 employees have been accounted for.
The manufacturer will be closed as investigators determine why the oven exploded.
