A propane tank fire was safely extinguished, with no explosion or injuries, thanks to the work of Putnam County Fire Department firefighters.
The fire happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at a residence on South Harmony Court, according to Putnam County Fire Chief Thomas McClain.
The well house at the residence caught fire, “but we don’t know why it happened. The cause of the fire is under investigation,” McClain explained.
The propane tank was located next to the well house, and the fire on it melted some of the fittings off the tank. The homeowners initially told him the pressure caused a loud noise, but the tank itself did not rupture or explode, McClain said.
“It made the propane tank have a good-sized leak, which made a pretty impressive fire for a while,” he said.
The firefighters did not extinguish the propane tank fire because doing so would cause the gas to spread.
“So the best thing to do was keep it from getting overheated and rupturing,” McClain explained. “So we cooled it with a steady stream of water while it all vented out and burned.”
The venting process took approximately three hours, according to McClain, who noted that the firefighters kept the stream of water on the 100-gallon tank the entire time.
Fire safety regulations require propane tanks of 250 gallons or more to be at least 10 feet away from any structure. So, the 100-gallon tank at the residence was permitted to be next to the well house, he said, and added that the well house was a total loss and would be replaced by the homeowners.
“We train for just that type of event,” McClain said. “So I’m thankful that no one got hurt and we could minimize the damage. So, I put that one in the ‘win column.’”