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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Bill could gut GMO ordinance, group says ... Our View: We are not ready for The Really Big One ... Serious crime down in Medford ... Bill could gut GMO ordinance, group says ... Our View: We are not ready for The Really Big One ... Serious crime down in Medford ... FIRE Explosion at Knife River plant blows top off tank No one injured; cause still under investigation Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 29, 2015 at 3:43 PM Updated Jan 30, 2015 at 2:00 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 29, 2015 at 3:43 PM Updated Jan 30, 2015 at 2:00 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Knife River Corp Explosions » Social News An explosion Thursday afternoon at the Knife River Corp. aggregate plant in an industrial part of Central Point blew the top off an asphalt tank and sheared nearby power lines, according to Jackson County Fire District 3 firefighters at the scene. Neighbors said residences on the east side of Blackwell Road lost power shortly before they noticed smoke drifting from the facility at 3770 Kirtland Road at about 2:15 p.m. Knife River spokesperson Tony Spilde said nobody was injured in the fire, which is still under investigation by the company and fire officials. "We're cooperating with the fire department," he said. "The fire was in a tank that holds liquid asphalt, and the tank was nearly empty," he said. "There was probably about two feet of liquid asphalt at the bottom of the tank." None of the asphalt escaped from the tank during the explosion, he said. He said liquid asphalt is mixed with aggregate at the plant to produce asphalt pavement. Liquid asphalt is potentially flammable but has to be heated to a high temperature for combustion to occur. Spilde said fire crews arrived on scene almost immediately after the fire began and had it under control within 30 minutes.  In addition to Fire District 3, engines from Rogue River Fire District No. 1 and Medford Fire-Rescue were dispatched to assist, along with an ambulance from Mercy Flights. Repair crews from Pacific Power arrived at the plant around 3:30 p.m. to work on the lines. A Pacific Power representative said 212 customers were affected and power was restored at 5:09 p.m. Knife River is headquartered in Bismarck, N.D., and has operations in 18 states. It's the 10th largest producer of aggregate in the U.S. and the fifth largest producer of sand and gravel, according to its website, www.kniferiver.com. During peak season, it employs 5,000 workers. Knife River has been operating in Jackson County since it bought aggregate company LTM in 1993. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 29, 2015 at 3:43 PM Updated Jan 30, 2015 at 2:00 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501