Lightning Strike Sparks Fire At Refinery

Friday, April 27th 2007, 10:26 pm

By: News On 6

WYNNEWOOD, Okla. (AP) -- A fire that engulfed two 80,000-barrel tanks at the Wynnewood Refinery was still burning Saturday morning. The initial blaze was sparked by a lightning strike about 11:45 a.m. Friday. Police Chief Ken Moore says crews poured foam on the tank and drained some of the naphtha from the tank. Naptha is an unrefined form of gasoline. But around 8:30 Friday night, residents reported an explosion and footage from the scene showed two tanks engulfed in flames.

Refinery spokesman Mike Hancock says there have been no reports of injuries and no immediate evacuations were ordered. The nearest residence to the refinery is about a quarter-mile away. Authorities did close U.S. Highway 77 and two others to block access to the scene.

The blaze comes just under a year since another fire hit the facility, which is owned by Denver-based Gary-Williams Corporation. Last May, a fire led to the evacuation of 150 nearby residents, and an acid leak a week later that was related to fire damage caused more evacuations. The refinery received 22 violations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Watch the video: Refinery Fire Continues To Burn