Thursday, August 20, 2015

Lightning sparks fire at Crystal Beach crude oil storage facility in Texas


Lightning sparks fire at oil storage facility in Crystal Beach
Lightning is to blame for a fire that burned through an oil storage facility on Crystal Beach.

The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management says the fire started after a lightning strike at approximately 7:13am at a crude oil tank farm on North Monkhouse Road near the Intracoastal Waterway.

Video sent by witnesses to the ABC-13 newsroom showed flames and smoke rising from the facility.

The fire is now out, and the container is covered with foam. Officials say there were approximately 400 barrels of crude oil on site.

The oil tank that caught fire was decommissioned four years ago.

The Intracoastal Waterway was briefly closed while firefighters battled the fire. It is now back open.

There are no reports of any injuries.