One person injured in Broken Arrow business fire

Friday, April 2nd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) -- A series of explosions rocked a home builder's office and warehouse here Friday afternoon, injuring one man who was taken by helicopter to the hospital, officials said.

Thick, black smoke towered above the building and could be seen miles away from this Tulsa suburb. Orange flames tore through the warehouse roof after the blast just before 2 PM.
Within an hour, the fire was under control and the black smoke had turned white, indicating the fire had cooled, said Broken Arrow police Maj. Norman Stephens.

The owner of Gibson Homes was welding inside the warehouse, triggering the explosions, officials said. The owner, who was not identified, suffered burns, they said.

Traffic was snarled near the fire in an industrial complex and the dismissal of a sixth-grade school nearby was delayed, officials said.