UPDATE: Fire, fears of explosion force veterans home evacuation

Florence Police say the Bruce McCandless State Veterans Home was evacuated Wednesday morning because of a fire at a nearby business.

The fire happened at around 8 a.m. at Vulcan Systems Inc., which is in the 200 block of Moore Drive. The veterans home is located in the 900 block of Moore Dr.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said there were fears of a possible explosion because of the fire.

A quarter mile radius around the building was evacuated as a precaution and an emergency notification call was sent out.

Moore Drive was closed between Union and County Road 95 because of the fire.

Police said between 75 and 80 people were evacuated from the veterans home.

The fire is now contained and all of the evacuation orders have been lifted.

The fire is believed to have started in a paperwork storage area. Fire investigators believe it started when a light ballast ignited.