A firefighter with the Limestone Fire Protection District had a camera mounted to his helmet that captured the moment a tank exploded at Tulsa Asphalt Monday. Video courtesy of Capt. Don Boyle
Limestone Fire Protection District firefighters responded about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to a fire to the Tulsa Asphalt plant at the Anchor Tulsa Rock Quarry on 66th Street North near 145th East Avenue. The fire involved seven tanks. Three tanks contained oil, three tanks contained burner fuel and one tank contained diesel fuel.
Firefighters were dousing the fuel tanks to attempt to cool them and prevent the expansion of gas inside when a pressure valve failed. Helmetcam video shows the sudden venting of gas at the top of the tank, then an explosion occurs. A reporter for KJRH2HD, Joe Henke and photographer Gary Griggs captured the explosion from a safe distance across the street.
The explosion caused the end of the tank to blow off and upward. When tanks fail, they frequently fail as this tank failed — blowing the end off the main part of the tank.
Three firefighters suffered apparently minor injuries during the blast. Two firefighters from Limestone Fire Protection District were injured and one firefighter from the Oklahoma Air National Guard was injured.
Also, an Oklahoma Air National Guard ARFF truck was damaged, including a broken windshield.
Here is video as metal from the exploding fuel tank flew through the air. Happened just after the loud boom @KJRH2HD pic.twitter.com/u9HWkyp2nq
— Joe Henke (@JoeHenke) October 12, 2015
Wow! Only on @KJRH2HD a helmet camera from Limestone FD captured explosion at Tulsa Asphalt http://t.co/VNdHkoMi7I pic.twitter.com/OJ8u3PDZ1N
— Joe Henke (@JoeHenke) October 14, 2015
Osage SkyNews 6 HD pilot Will Kavanagh says firefighters are in defensive mode at Owasso quarry fire. pic.twitter.com/CBp095ekRP
— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) October 12, 2015
Fire At Owasso Quarry Causes Huge Plume Of Smoke http://t.co/lCKsuM0wwS #News9 pic.twitter.com/z1YIoM2me9
— News 9 (@NEWS9) October 12, 2015
Large Storage Shed Catches Fire In Owasso http://t.co/9rM51h1ac1 pic.twitter.com/FnD96YNGgU
— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) October 14, 2015
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