Three people were injured late Friday night in an explosion at Ivex Protective Packaging on Stolle Avenue.

Firefighters are unclear about what caused the blast, which they said could take days to investigate.

Two sides of the building were blown out.

“There was an explosion in the processing side of the plant”, said Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Haller.

Firefighters said that after the explosion, a fire broke out inside the building.

“The sprinkler system kept the fire in check” he said, “and we extinguished it with a hand line when we arrived.”

The three victims suffered minor burns, and were taken to Wilson Memorial Hospital. They were treated and released.

Firefighters said they were able to quickly douse the flames, but it is too early to give a damage estimate.

Plant Supervisor Terry Stotler said that Ivex operates two plants in Sidney, with 45 employees.

He said that when “something like this happens, I mean you’re really unprepared for it.”

“It’s kinda like a house fire” he continued. “I mean, you get caught by surprise and you doing everything you can to make sure everyone’s safe.”

Stotler said he is not sure where the plant will go from here, because there are a lot of elements to consider.

The State Fire Marshall’s office was called in to investigate.