Propane fire at Santie Oil Company contained, crews remain on the scene; firefighters injured, hurt fighting the fire

Monday, July 13, 2015 ~ Updated 4:59 PM
 

Propane containers which help fuel the fire at Santie Oil Company Monday morning sit in disarray around the burned building. Jill Bock, Staff

SIKESTON - Sikeston Department of Public Safety personnel remained on the scene this afternoon after battling a fire in what felt like triple-digit heat. At approximately 9:45 a.m. today, fire personnel were called to Santie Oil Co. at 126 Larcel Dr., when fire broke out in a propane storage area. 


According to Sikeston DPS Director Drew Juden, personnel were working in the area when the fire broke out. All workers were able to safely leave the building.

Smoke continued to rise from the Santie Oil Co. building on Larcel Drive late Monday afternoon. According to Capt. Jim McMillen, the blaze began inside the building in front of where the pickup truck is seen. Jill Bock, Staff

As the fire moved through the area, it began to ignite the propane canisters, causing large explosions which continued to fuel the blaze. The fire caused parts of some containers to become projectiles, flying hundreds of feet in the air. 

 

Some even crossed Highway 60 and landed in a field near Walmart. 

  Several large propane and gasoline containers created concerns for officers, who evacuated the nearby businesses. The blaze also prompted the Missouri State Highway Patrol to shutdown parts of Highways 60 and 61. 

In bringing the blaze under control, two firemen were overcome by the heat. A third fireman was injured while setting up a generator for a cooling station, Juden said. 

According to Juden, on Tuesday, officers will conduct an investigation into what cause the blaze. He did say it did not appear to be suspicious in origin. 

Santie Oil Co. is a distributor for companies such as Chevron/Texaco.