Fire Marshals still investigating Greenleaf explosion

Henderson County fire marshals are still investigating the cause of an explosion Tuesday at the Greenleaf Corp. The explosion occurred at 3:15 p.m. at 761 Roper Road, where the Greenleaf Corp. makes ceramic cutting tools.

"The investigators need to reconstruct the scene to determine the cause," Assistant Fire Marshal Kevin Waldrup said Friday

A cause for the explosion should be determined by early next week, he said.

"The explosion occurred in a furnace or oven that the plant uses," Waldrup said. "It was contained inside the oven and the fire was caused as a result of the explosion. We are not investigating the cause of the fire, but rather the cause of the explosion."

Three workers at the plant were inside at the time of the accident, but all were safely evacuated. There were no injuries.

The explosion involved the chemical hexane, which is made from crude oil used in laboratories and mixed with other chemicals to produce solvents.

Emergency workers evacuated anyone living within 1,000 feet of Greenleaf on Tuesday, but only warned those residents outside of the 1,000-foot zone and issued a voluntary evacuation.