TEXAS CITY — A lightning strike ignited a fire at a crude oil storage tank in Texas City on Thursday.
The fire was quickly brought under control, thanks largely to the tank’s internal fire-suppression system.
The blaze broke out about 6 p.m. as a line of thunderstorms moved through Galveston County. Lightning struck a tank owned by Teppco at the Seaway Crude Oil facility on Loop 197 near the Texas City Wye.
The tank contained light crude oil. The blaze sent a plume of black smoke drifting over parts of west Texas City and La Marque.
Loop 197 and parts of state Highway 3 and state Highway 146 were closed while crews fought the fire. Texas City did not issue a shelter-in-place order but sent automated phone messages to inform residents of the fire.
Texas City’s Homeland Security Coordinator Bruce Clawson said fire crews from Texas City, La Marque and BP helped fight the fire. Most of the blaze, though, was contained by an automatic foam fire-suppression system inside the tank.
Clawson said the system is on the inside of the top of the tank, much like a fire sprinkler system in an office building.
The fire was put out by 7:45 p.m., Clawson said. Fire crews were to stand watch overnight to ensure the blaze didn’t restart.
Clawson said one person was working at the facility when the fire erupted but was not near the tank when the lightning struck.
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On The Web
Watch video of fire fighters battling the oil tank blaze in the Between the Lines blog at galvnews.com.
