One person was injured in a fire Nov. 5 at an explosives development laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the base announced.
The fire broke out at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s High Explosive Research and Development (HERD) Facility at about 11:30 a.m., and emergency services from the base’s 96th Test Wing were able to contain and clear the blaze. One person was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center with an undisclosed injury, the base said in a statement.
There is no detail yet on what caused the fire, which remains under investigation.
The HERD is the Air Force’s only facility that develops explosives, according to a 2011 Eglin press release. The facility researches Air Force munitions to create “a safer, more robust bomb” through the use of range testing, air blast and sensitivity testing, and microscopic experiments on impact, friction, and electrostatic discharge, the release states.
In October, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center began a $107 million project that includes improvements to the HERD, with construction expected to be completed in 2022, according to a release.