Damariscotta residents reportedly felt an explosion that occurred in an empty storage tank at the Dragon Products plant in Thomaston, 20 miles away, Dec. 23, according to Damariscotta Police.
The explosion at Dragon Products, formally Dragon Cement, is being blamed on a combination of unburned particles in the air, heat, and oxygen. According to a conclusion by Sgt. Ken Grimes of the state fire marshal’s office, the explosion was accidental.
Grimes did not expect charges to be filed.
Workers were in the process of demolishing the storage tank at the time, having been empty for years, according to Grimes.
Sparks from a cutting torch ignited a 10 by 10 foot pile of debris that included insulation and Styrofoam before the explosion.
Hot gasses from the fire entered through vents in the tank and filled it before the particles in the thick smoke ignited. The force of the blast blew out windows throughout the plant.
No one was injured reportedly because workers and staff were attending a holiday celebration, and were away from the windows at the time of the explosion.
