Crestline ? An explosion killed two people and injured three others Thursday morning at a commercial fireworks storage site near this rural southeast Kansas community, the state fire marshal said.

The explosion occurred about 10 a.m. at a large facility owned by Fireworks Spectacular Inc., based in Crestline. Two emergency helicopters were brought in to transport victims to nearby hospitals.

The two men who were killed were identified as Ferb Trey Robinson, 29, and Daniel Lee Groves, 29, both of Scammon. The injured were Cody Soper, 21, of Columbus, Craig Banke, 32, of Cherokee, and Ryan Holding, 24, of Columbus. All three were hospitalized at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in nearby Joplin, Mo.

The explosion destroyed a storage magazine and trailer containing fireworks housed at the 40-acre site.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Karl McNorton said the accident occurred as workers were handling fireworks stored in large containers and semitrailers.

Law enforcement officials investigate the scene of an explosion at a fireworks storage facility Thursday near Crestline, which killed two and injured three others. The explosion destroyed a storage magazine and trailer containing fireworks housed by Fireworks Spectacular, a subsidiary of Jakes Fireworks, the company said.

The explosion occurred at a remote site about 20 miles southeast of Pittsburg near the Missouri border.

Fireworks Spectacular produces large, public displays throughout the nation.

Jason Marietta, a spokesman for Fireworks Spectacular, said it was the first accident of this type in the company’s history.

“This accident comes as a great shock to us, as safety has always been a priority within our organization,” Marietta said in a statement. “Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families of those touched by this tragedy.”

He said the cause of explosion “is still under investigation, and we will release information as it becomes available.”

Neighbors said a single loud explosion was followed by a series of smaller explosions that shook homes. McNorton said state investigators were on the scene, along with agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Chris Perez, of Crestline, told The Joplin Globe that he was working at his computer at his home near the entrance to the site when the explosion shook his home.

He was one of the first to arrive on the scene after the explosion.

“I saw a trailer on fire, and I could see movement around the scene,” Perez said. “I walked back toward the trailers and one guy asked me if I wouldn’t mind staying back. The guy asked me to go to the entrance and direct emergency vehicles to the scene. While I was at the entrance, I saw two guys walking away from the scene with serious burns.”

Southeast Kansas is known for its fireworks companies. Pittsburg is the home of Jakes Fireworks Inc., founded 70 years ago by the Marietta family.

The company imports fireworks from overseas and mainly sells them wholesale in all 50 states and several countries. It markets its products under various names including World Class Fireworks.

Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Assn. in Bethesda, Md., said federal regulations require fireworks to be stored in limited quantities in safe locations away from highways and other structures on site and adjacent property.

“You’re dealing with energetic materials and there’s always higher levels of risk,” Heckman said. “This is tough news for the whole industry to swallow. It’s a closely knit industry.”