CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Investigators with Dominion Energy along with state and federal regulators continue to probe a massive fire which destroyed the company’s Million Gallon Gasoline storage tank over the weekend in Tyler County. The tank, located near the Ohio River in a remote area, held gasoline to be loaded onto barges on the river.
Dominion spokesperson Samantha Norris said they are still looking for an exact cause for the fire which burned from 4:15 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday.
“Due to the heat, safety was our number one focus,” she said. “We didn’t want to put any of the first responders in danger, so they made a deliberate and purposeful decision to simply let the fire run its course.”
Fire fighters stood back and allowed the intense flames to burn off as the fuel within the tank was exhausted and kept the flames from spreading to any other area. Nobody was injured.
The area is in a remote location and therefore didn’t directly threaten any other structures, but as a precaution several nearby residents were evacuated from their homes.
The fire happened during thunderstorm activity and Norris acknowledged a lightening strike was one of the potential sources investigators had been evaluating.
“We know there was a lot of electrical activity that went through that area at the time the fire was reported,” she said. “Our tank was designed to National Fire Protection Association and American Petroleum Institute standards. We did have lightening protection on the tank. This will be part of the evaluation.”
Although the tank is designed to hold one Million gallons of gasoline, company officials have not released how much material was in the tank at the time the fire started.
“That’s part of the investigation,” she added.
Norris was quick to praise the work of first responders, government regulators, and even competitors in the industry who were quick to offer a helping hand.
“We are fortunate to be in an industry when one of us is need, others stand up and help,” she said. “It’s really a great reputation in our industry that we do support one another.”