SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – There was an explosion Thursday afternoon at a manufacturing plant near the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport, responders on the scene told WVLT News.

The explosion happened at Johnson Matthey Catalysts, located at 1246 Airport Road, officials said. They also told WVLT News that the company had safety precautions in place, which prevented any injuries.

WVLT News spoke to Sevierville Fire Chief Matt Henderson on the scene, who said that “where the explosion took place, the building was designed to handle the explosion.” After the explosion, the company extinguished fires using chemical extinguishers, he said. Company workers had to use chemical extinguishers because the chemicals involved in the explosion react to water, Henderson told WVLT News.

Directly after the explosion, responders issued a voluntary evacuation for everyone within 1,000 feet of the area out of an abundance of caution, Henderson said. That evacuation has been lifted, he said.

WVLT News also spoke to Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) officials, who said they would likely not be investigating, since the explosion did not injure or kill anyone.

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