Lightning explodes oil tank
Staff writer
Lightning during Friday evening’s storm set off more than a light show. It caused an oil storage tank near Florence to explode.
Florence firefighters were called at 8:44 p.m. to a fire near oil tanks at 110th and Yarrow Rds. They had the fire out within 20 minutes. Burns firefighters also were called, but the call was canceled before they arrived.
Emergency manager Marcy Hostetler said a tank owned by Shawmar Oil and Gas Co. was struck by lightning and exploded.
The explosion set a field near the tank on fire. Firefighters quickly extinguished those flames.
Hostetler said the tank spilled an estimated 40 barrels of crude oil onto the ground. The tank also contained salt brine. Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Coordinating Commission were summoned because of the toxic spill.
“KDHE spills is doing all the reporting on it,” Hostetler said.
Shawmar also is cleaning up the spill, she said.
The City of Burns also had a rough weekend, Hostetler said.
The storm snapped more than 40 power poles, causing power to be cut off to the town.
Power eventually was restored.
The storm interrupted football games in Marion and Hillsboro and caused disruption to Hillsboro and Marion arts and crafts festivals.