Thursday, January 22, 2015

NATURAL GAS LEAK CAUSES EXPLOSION, FIRE AT MIDKIFF ROAD BUILDING IN MIDLAND, TEXAS

NATURAL GAS LEAK CAUSES EXPLOSION, FIRE AT MIDKIFF ROAD BUILDING IN MIDLAND, TEXAS

  



Midland emergency personnel work the scene of a fire at a storage building north of the intersection of Midkiff Road and Wall Street on Jan. 9, 2015. 



Thursday, January 22, 2015 



Midland, Texas
 The explosion and subsequent fire earlier this month at a building on South Midkiff Road was believed to be caused by a natural gas leak, according to the Midland Fire Department.



The investigation into the fire that occurred about 10 a.m. Jan. 9 revealed that natural gas was ignited by a central gas-fired furnace located adjacent to the room that is believed to be the source of the leak, according to a press release from the city. Investigators suspect that the gas originated from a buried service line located in the alley behind the building.




Employees of nearby businesses said they smelled natural gas earlier in the day. Gas vapors were discovered leaking through existing cracks in the building’s concrete foundation, and gas also was discovered coming through the alley asphalt paving, according to the release.



The building --  which housed several small businesses and storage spaces -- was severely damaged by both the explosion and the fire.



Investigators also have determined that a fire at Thornwood Apartments, 2600 block of North “A” Street, at about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 20 was caused by a heating unit, according to the release.



Insulation material in the attic that was covering the top of the heater unit ignited and flames spread to the adjacent wood structure of the attic, according to the release.



Damage was confined to the heater unit and attic space above the apartment, but nearby apartments experienced minor smoke and/or water damage. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, according to the release.