Indiana warehouse explosion kills three

ROCHESTER, Ind. -- An explosion rocked a warehouse that makes extinguishers for chimney fires Wednesday, killing three people and critically injuring a fourth, the mayor said.

Two other people escaped, Mayor Phil Thompson said. He didn't immediately know whether they were injured.

A man who was severely burned was listed in critical condition, said Chuck Linvill, house manager at St. Joseph's Hospital in Fort Wayne.

The blast happened at the Pyro Design and Development warehouse about 30 miles from South Bend.

"It was a small building to begin with, and it was pretty well destroyed," Thompson said. "The whole sky was filled with smoke up there, so it must have been pretty big explosion."

The warehouse typically has only a handful of employees inside, Thompson said.

James Eikenberry, who lives about 50 yards from the business, said the area was closed off because of smoke, but nearby homes were not evacuated.