UPDATE: This story has been updated with additional details.
Police shut down a section of U.S. 1 in central Florida Tuesday due to fires from an explosion.
Palm Bay police said in a Twitter post that officers were checking out reports of an explosion. They posted photos of smoke plumes coming from an industrial area.
Florida Today reported that several large explosions were heard around 10:30 a.m. Smoke dissipated within about 30 minutes, but a shelter-in-place order was given for Palm Bay High School, and other nearby schools.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
The explosion “originated from an industrial storage area containing 30-40 50-gallon barrels of an isopropyl alcohol-based solution,” Palm Bay spokeswoman Keely Leggett told the newspaper.
No injuries have been reported and crews are investigating, officials said.
Police have asked residents to avoid the area.
Palm Bay is in Brevard County, south of Melbourne.
Topics Florida Law Enforcement
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Insurer Rolls Out Policy to Protect Data Centers Against Growing Backlash 
Home Insurance Tops Property Taxes in Squeeze for US Households 
Reuters: DXC in Advanced Talks to Sell Insurance Software Unit for $2.4 Billion 
Chubb Q3 Net Income Down Slightly on More Catastrophe Losses 
