Tulsa Business Evacuated In Welding Tank Fire

Tulsa firefighters responded to a minor industrial fire Monday morning, evacuating the business.

It happened at about 9:30 a.m. at Ozark Steel in the 900 block of West 41st Street

Firefighters say an acetylene welding tank caught fire due to a loose fitting. Hazardous materials crews evacuated all employees, removing the cylinder and putting out the fire.

"If we allow the gas to build up after the fire, we have the danger of an explosion, so we evacuate," said Captain Stan May with the Tulsa Police Department.

Damage was confined to the welding tank, and no one was injured.

Ozark Steel specializes in plate steel processing services for the manufacturing industry, according to their web site. Services include oxy-fuel cutting, plasma cutting, laser cutting and metal forming.

May said the business appeared to have good safety practices in place that helped in the response to the fire.