Explosion at Widener’s
Firefighters are on the scene of an apparent ammunition storage facility explosion near Indian Ridge Road and Locust Lane.
Johnson City, Jonesborough and volunteer firefighters were called to at Widener’s Reloading & Shooting Supply Inc. in the area of West Market Street and Indian Ridge Road just after 10 a.m.
Traffic is reportedly being diverted from the area because ammunition is cooking off and shooting across West Market Street.
Update: Via twitter: I am over a mile away and it rocked my windows. Plume looked like a nuke went off #jcexplosion No doubt ppl died
Follow tweets here.
Update and bump: Thread at arfcom.
Coverage at tricities.com, with pic.
Update: more from Michael.
September 1st, 2010 at 11:51 am
That sucks, they’ve been my only source of ammo since I discovered them.
September 1st, 2010 at 11:52 am
Damn. I really hope (against odds it sounds like) that nobody was hurt.
I’ve done a goodly amount of business with Widener’s and have always been pleased.
September 1st, 2010 at 11:57 am
The Johnson City Press website isn’t loading – probably overwhelmed.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Thoughts and prayers with everyone down there. I moved away years ago, but Johnson City is home. My folks still live about 20 minutes from there.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Happenstance
Coincidence
…
September 1st, 2010 at 12:42 pm
That sucks. I’ve bought from Widener’s on many occasions.
I hope everyone is OK.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:59 pm
It was not Widener’s main building. It was a building
back behind the property that they held get together at. There was some farm equipment, fireworks, fertilizer in the building. Kinda a bad combination.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:07 pm
News site is back up. Has an update and says everyone is OK. The storage building was remote enough that they are going to let the fire burn itself out. Good news that no one was hurt, sucks that it happened to good people.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Why does this keep happening? Isn’t this the 4th ammo plant explosion or so to recent memory?
September 1st, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Thank God no one was hurt.
It’s a good store.
September 1st, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Very happy to hear no one hurt.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Same thing happened on a similar scale just outside Toledo, Ohio a few weeks ago. “Nothing suspicious.” Well, I am.