A building exploded at a pyrotechnics factory between Columbus and Absarokee on Thursday night.
It happened around 10 p.m. at Next FX at 184 McNaley Road, off of White Bird Creek Road and Highway 78.
Firefighters from Columbus and Absarokee also put out several small grass fires on about three to five acres, believed to be related to the explosion.
No one was injured and the damage was small enough to allow Next FX to continue manufacturing.
Raw materials for the fireworks exploded in a metal outbuilding that measured approximately 8 feet by 40 feet, according to Assistant Chief Nick Jacobs of Columbus Fire Rescue.
"Once the building blew up, it was all metal building, there was no real flames near the building or any of the exterior or surrounding buildings," Jacobs said. "No big, flashy colorful lights going off from that building. So that had pretty much dealt with it by itself. It was just all the little grass fires that were continuing to burn, potentially towards other structures on the property."
Jacobs said it will be difficult to find a cause and the state fire marshal and the ATF are investigating.
