What Was That Huge Noise in Somerset This Morning?

If you heard an extremely large blast in Somerset this morning, that was the sound of the demolition of three smokestacks near the water cooling towers.

Fun 107 received reports that the enormous explosion could be heard as far away as Dartmouth. The blast woke some nearby Fall River residents out of a dead sleep. Some shoppers at the Walmart in Fall River reported that they thought there was an earthquake happening.

The blast took place roughly around 8 o'clock this morning.

We thank Jeff Raposa for allowing us to share this great video of today's demolition.

This morning's blast is merely an appetizer for what is to come. On April 27, the two 500-foot-tall cooling towers will be destroyed with a controlled blast.

There is currently a raffle going on for the opportunity to be the person to hit the button that sets off the blast. Tickets are being sold for $20 each and proceeds benefit Fall River's Vietnam War Memorial.

The smokestacks were originally scheduled for demolition yesterday morning, but organizers rescheduled the blast for today due to yesterday's strong winds.

The April 27 blast is also subject to rescheduling due to uncooperative weather forecasts.

There are plans to turn the cooling tower site into property tied to the booming offshore wind industry. The alternative use of the property could begin as early as next year.