An explosion rocked a plant food manufacturing business Wednesday morning in Nankin, in rural Ashland County.

It occurred at All-Plant Liquid Plant Food at 804 State Route 511.  

Pam Gerwig, daughter of the owners, was in the office when she heard the blast and ran out to see heavy smoke coming from the barn in which the plant food is made.

She said her brother was mixing chemicals to make plant food when the explosion occurred, but he escaped unhurt.

The call came in at 8:37 am, and the Ashland fire department was the first to arrive.

Assistant Fire Chief Dan Raudebaugh says they arrived to find heavy smoke in the barn, with fire on the ground and upper floors.  The flames were doused quickly, and the cause is being investigated.  The chemicals were non-toxic. 

The Nankin, Savannah, and Ruggles-Troy fire departments also responded to the incident.