20,000 Gallons of Asphalt Goes Up in Flames

'Captain Lance Davis who arrived at the scene on Ladder 4 quickly realized the danger of this tanker truck becoming part of the inferno. He jumped into the cab and drove the truck away from the fire. His quick actions helped eliminate one of the extreme hazards fighting this fire' ... Salem Fire's Bill Holmstrom

Photo Courtesy: Salem Fire

(SALEM) - Flames from a fire in south Salem reportedly shot 200 feet in the air Tuesday, escaping the attention of few who looked in the direction of south Salem`s industrial area around 12:30 PM.

Salem Fire`s Bill Holmstrom says that just before 12:30 PM Tuesday, the plant manager of Salem Black top and Asphalt at McGilchrist SE and 22nd Street SE, was informed that one of their tanks was on fire.

That is when the company called 911 and began a total evacuation of the premises. A service station attendant at the Shell station at Mission and 25th, said the flames were shooting far into the air, above the plant`s buildings.

Holmstrom says the first firefighters on the scene reported multiple storage tanks on fire. `The largest was a 20,000 gallon-asphalt tank. A 10,000-gallon diesel fuel tank was also involved."

He says that is when a second alarm brought more fire fighters and apparatus to the scene. `Battalion Chief Bob Davis prepared for the possible evacuation of hundreds of residences and local business employees in the area." Fortunately, crews had it under control before it reached that point.

Holmstrom says another hazard at the time of the fire was a tanker truck-uploading product. `Captain Lance Davis who arrived at the scene on Ladder 4 quickly realized the danger of this tanker truck becoming part of the inferno. He jumped into the cab and drove the truck away from the fire. His quick actions helped eliminate one of the extreme hazards fighting this fire."

Firefighters used large diameter hose streams to battle the blaze. In addition, Holmstrom says foam was used to help smother the fire. `Firefighters did an amazing job extinguishing this fire and had it knocked down within 20 minutes of their arrival." No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was determined to be a heat transfer oil tank which leaked onto an oil heating coil system. This leak ignited the oil, which ignited the tank. Damage estimates were not yet available.