Huge Explosion Sends Natural Gas Tank Dome Flying
Officials said three storage tanks burned after a suspected lightning strike, and pipeline operations were interrupted while crews moved into cleanup and recovery.
- On Monday, August 17, a suspected lightning strike ignited three natural gasoline storage tanks at the Explorer Pipeline facility in Glenpool, Oklahoma, prompting evacuations and emergency measures around the site.
- Company CEO Mark Hurley said conditions led Explorer to suspect lightning caused the fire, marking the third major blaze at the Glenpool Tank Farm in just over 20 years.
- Williams Fire and Hazard Control and US Fire Pump are leading cooling efforts, with crews applying foam "about every 30 minutes for the next several hours," said Public Information Officer Mandy Vavirnak.
- By 20:30 CDT on August 17, authorities confirmed the fire was no longer actively burning, and monitoring showed no hazardous air quality or contamination in the surrounding area.
- Response efforts transitioned to cleanup and recovery on August 18, while Explorer Pipeline continues to evaluate the timeline for resuming operations and managing remediation at the Glenpool site.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Glenpool tank fire out after 12 hours, neighbors say third blaze in 20 years
Fire crews from across Green Country successfully extinguished a massive blaze at the Explorer Pipeline tank farm after nearly 12 hours, marking the third major fire at the facility in just over 20 years.All three tanks involved in the fire were declared out by 7:37 p.m., according to the Glenpool Fire Department, though cooling and monitoring efforts continue.WATCH: Glenpool tank fire out after 12 hours, neighbors say third blaze in 20 years Gl…
Lightning strike triggers fire in three natural gasoline tanks at Explorer Pipeline facility in Glenpool, Oklahoma
A suspected lightning strike triggered a fire involving three natural gasoline storage tanks at the Explorer Pipeline facility in Glenpool, Oklahoma, at approximately 08:33 CDT (13:33 UTC) on August 17, 2026, prompting evacuations and shelter measures around the site. No injuries were reported. Officials said the fire was no longer actively burning by 20:30 CDT (01:30 UTC on August 18), and the response transitioned to cleanup and recovery on Au…
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