Milton, MA – The Boston Channel – A popular cookie factory in Milton was rocked Thursday when a gas problem led to a violent blast.
NewsCenter 5’s Amalia Barreda reported that the explosion happened at the G.H. Bent Cookie Factory — a community institution known for its delicious cookies and a history that dates back to the Civil War.
No one was injured in the blast, and no fire broke out.
About 12 people were inside the building at the time of the blast.
“Within seconds or a minute, it was like a big bang and everything was just like blowing throughout the building,” worker Chrisa Mavrikos said.
The blast blew out most the of the historic building’s windows. The bakery became famous when it started making hardtack crackers during the Civil War.
The explosion happened when bakery owner Eugene Pierotta tried to light an old oven.
“It was just like a hurricane — no, a tornado. It was just a rush of air, that is all,” he said.
“It is an old gas oven and it malfunctioned during a relighting process and it exploded,” Milton Fire Deputy Chief John Foley said.
Officials said the building is structurally sound.