(MENAFN) Two firefighters were injured after a powerful explosion at a chemical recycling facility in Sydney, Australia, sent fireballs soaring 100 meters (328 feet) into the sky, according to public broadcaster.

The blast occurred on Saturday in North St Marys on Kurrajong Street, where firefighters had been battling an overnight blaze at the facility. The explosion scattered chunks of concrete and debris over the emergency crews, creating intense heat and a massive fireball.

“I have never seen anything like that, to that degree,” said Jeremy Fewtrell, New South Wales Fire and Rescue Commissioner, describing the scale of the incident.

More than 50 fire units and hundreds of firefighters responded to the scene just before 11 pm local time (1200 GMT). Despite initial containment efforts, the fire rapidly spread before the explosion took place.

Two firefighters sustained skin irritations after chemicals seeped through their gloves but did not require hospitalization. By Sunday afternoon, the facility had been completely destroyed, and walls of a neighboring business were “blown apart,” though its contents were saved by emergency crews.

Hazardous materials teams are currently securing chemicals at the site while the Environment Protection Agency, fire investigators, and New South Wales Police conduct a formal investigation into the cause of the explosion.

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