At least two people were killed and 19 others were injured in a fiery explosion on Thursday when a small plane crashed into a furniture manufacturing facility in Southern California, shortly after taking off from a nearby airport.

The four-seat aircraft struck the sprawling building on Raymer Avenue near the Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County just after 2 p.m., roughly 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles, the authorities said.

Benjamin Torrez, who helps load furniture onto trucks, was nearing the end of his shift when he and his co-workers heard a loud collision followed by screams. Mr. Torrez, 57, ran outside to see a horrific scene: a downed plane engulfed in flames as some of his colleagues frantically used extinguishers on three or four workers who had caught fire.

“We know most everybody but don’t know them well,” Mr. Torrez said of the workers, who he said worked in other parts of the warehouse.

“Many got burned,” he added. “I was scared.”

Officials estimated that as many as 300 people were evacuated from the building, which sustained major damage from the crash and fire. Nineteen people were treated for injuries, including some who were taken to the hospital, said Mike Meacham, a deputy chief with the Fullerton Fire Department.

The two people who were killed have not yet been identified, and it was not clear if they had been aboard the plane, officials said.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.