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.
