NEW IBERIA, La. » A fire at a southern Louisiana plant where chemicals are blended and stored for oilfield operations is being allowed to burn itself out before investigators enter the facility to search for a cause.

Tuesday afternoon’s explosion and fire at the Multi-Chem Corp. plant in New Iberia forced residents within a 1-mile radius of the area to evacuate.

Investigators say no one was injured and all 20 workers at the site are accounted for.

Officials weren’t certain what kind of chemicals were on fire in the warehouse.

State police and Iberia Parish emergency management officials say the first blast was reported around 4 p.m., followed by several more explosions. The plant is near the Acadiana Regional Airport, which was shut down as a precaution.