BELLE, W.Va. — Four different gas companies are now involved in the investigation of a gas line fire which happened a little after 6 a.m. on Wednesday. The first reports indicated smoke in the area around 6:30 a.m. By 7 a.m. there were reports of a fire.
The fire was first reported as being caused by an explosion, but emergency crews determined Wednesday afternoon that none occurred.
“Fire departments responded and found a gas facility on fire,” said Kanawha County Deputy Emergency Manger C.W. Sigman. “It’s where about four different companies have lines coming together. It used to be the site of a small compressor station.”
The compressor station was removed years ago, but many of the lines in the area have exposed valves. Sigman said all fire fighters could do was sit back and watch it burn while they waited for the gas company to arrive.
“The gas companies showed up and diverted the gas other directions,” Sigman said. “It went out pretty much on its own after they got the valves turned off.”
Fortunately no significant damage was reported and nobody was injured. The fire’s location was in a remote area outside of Belle and there were no homes or other buildings near the blaze.
“It was an isolated area, probably three quarters of a mile away from the nearest house,” Sigman said.
The fire was determined to have started in the regulator station. A cause for the fire is still under investigation.