UPDATED: Middleton Plant Explosion Fire Knocked Down

The fire caused by an explosion at the Bostik Plant in Middleton has been knocked down and HazMat members are continuing their assessment to see what environmental damage from the chemical plant, if any, may have occured.

North Reading Patch Editor Matthew Bashalany and Salem Patch Editor Aubry Bracco are at the scene of the explosion which happened just before 8 p.m. this evening. They are currently waiting at a staging area located at the junction of Russell and Boston streets for State Police and Middleton public safety officials to give a press briefing about the incident.

"We can see the plant, but there is no smoke or visible damage," Bashalany said. He added there is also no trace of a chemical odor and there has been no call for any evacuations in the sparsely populated neighborhood.

Bashalany said some neighbors are watching the scene from behind a police roadblock and Peabody Police are assisting Middleton Police with traffic control. Firefighters from Middleton, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly, Lynnfield, North Reading, Boxford, and Ipswich all responded to the scene along with State Police and local police. A National Grid gas crew also responded to the scene. The Bostik Plant in Middleton close to the West Peabody line.

issued a Nixle alert just before 8 p.m. saying that many West Peabody residents heard a loud explosion that turned out to be a building at the plant located on Boston Road off of Russell Street in Middleton. According to comments posted on North Shore Patch's Facebook page, residents in many other communities also heard the explosion in towns like Danvers, North Reading and Melrose.

Massachusetts State Police are reporting on Twitter that at least four people have been injured, but no evacuations are being called for at this time.

Peabody Police have advised residents to stay away from the area and say that all roads have been blocked off by emergency response vehicles.

Any traffic to Peabody from Boston Street in Middleton is being diverted to Route 62 West and Catherine Drive from the south, according to Peabody Police.

According to Bostik's web site, the company "one of the largest adhesive and sealant companies in the world. The group designs, manufactures and markets adhesives and sealants for three key markets: Industry, Construction and Consumer. Its products are used in a wide range of fields – from gas tankers and buildings to furniture and diapers."