Smoke billows from an oil fire Friday at the ONEOK gas plant property near Bridgeport. COURTESY | COLBY SHAWN
Using foam to cut a path through the flames, firefighters reached a valve on an oil tank to bring a fire at the ONEOK gas plant property near Bridgeport under control Friday afternoon.
Around 3:20 p.m., the plant’s automated alarm system was triggered for a fire on the property off U.S. 380, between Bridgeport and Runaway Bay. Black smoke billowed from the fire at the plant.
First-arriving units found an active fire near an oil holding tank, with burning oil on the ground.
“Something sparked a fire at one of the valves,” Wise County EMS Chief and acting Fire Marshal Randall Preuninger said.
Crews developed a plan to knock down the flames with Class B foam as Bridgeport and Decatur firefighters and members of Wise County EMS Rescue 1 moved in, closing the valve to cut off the fuel of the flames.
“The biggest piece was keeping it contained until we could access the valve,” Preuninger said. “We geared up firemen and crews to push the fire off of them to get to the valves.”
After the valve was shut off, the fire was contained.
Plant personnel also used a backhoe to build a berm that helped slow the flow of oil, Preuninger said.
The fire was out at around 4:15 p.m., and crews began to clear the scene.
Smoke could be seen for miles Friday as firefighters worked to contain an oil fire at the ONEOK gas plant near Bridgeport. Crews used foam to cut a path through flames and shut off a valve on an oil tank. PHOTO COURTESY | COLBY SHAWN
Decatur, Bridgeport, Chico, Runaway Bay and Lake Bridgeport fire departments, along with Wise County EMS Rescue 1, responded to the scene.
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