Waterville Crews Fought a Fire Fueled By a 1250 Gal Propane Tank

Waterville firefighters battled a blaze at a local gas station that was being fueled by over 1,200 gallons of propane.

Where Was the Fire?

It was a cold morning to battle a fire, but I have a feeling this one generated plenty of heat. According to a post on the Waterville Fire-Rescue Facebook page, crews from Waterville and Oakland were called to 500 Kennedy Memorial Drive just after 5:00 Friday morning. When they arrived, they found a propane filling station on fire at the Dead River Shell Station. The blaze was being fed by a large 1,250-gallon tank and could be seen for miles.

Was It Difficult to Extinguish?

Controlling the fire was achieved through the use of two water sources, that were used to keep the tank cool. This helped to prevent it from exploding. They allowed the propane to burn off until Dead River technicians arrived at the station and assisted firefighters with shutting off the supply of gas. Kennedy Memorial Drive was closed, for a time, until the fire could be extinguished and the scene was deemed safe.

How Did It Start?

An investigation into the circumstances of the fire determined that a tractor used for plowing the lot struck a fuel-fill hose, causing it to be pulled from the pump station. That created a propane leak from the supply line which, it's assumed, was ignited by damaged electrical wires. Officials say that's considered an accidental fire. No one was hurt in the incident. Several fire departments assisted or were on standby, in case they were needed.