A remarkable video has captured a massive explosion and fireball that erupted at an industrial plant in Montana, reportedly shaking homes and vehicles for miles around.
The incident occurred at a saltwater disposal facility located just beyond Sidney, a small city in northeastern Montana, at approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The explosion illuminated the night with a massive orange flame that soared into a towering mushroom cloud.
According to the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department, the event seemingly began when the facility caught fire earlier on Wednesday, eventually leading to the ignition of several propane tanks on-site.
Storm chaser Arron Rigsby was driving by when he saw the facility on fire before the explosion, so he pulled over to call for help and dispatched a drone to take a closer look — but got way more than he bargained for.
“All of a sudden, a massive explosion from a propane or oil tank ignited a chain reaction of explosions, sending a shock wave towards town and my vehicle and sent the tank hundreds of feet into the air before crashing back down to earth,” he said in his video.
And the boom was felt as far as 10 miles away, according to officials.
“The fire burned well into the night and with emergency crews on scene, there was nothing to do but to let it burn itself out and keep the spot fires under control,” he explained in his video.
Sidney Volunteer Fire Department soon arrived at the scene and cordoned the area off, establishing a quarantine that was maintained throughout the night.
The department determined the facility was housing multiple propane tanks, and burst when they became heated in the flames.
It remains unclear how the initial fire started.
Remarkably, nobody was hurt in the incident, and the damage was contained to the area around the facility.
