Massive Explosion Diverted in 7-Alarm Fire at Gurnee Propane Plant: Fire Officials

GURNEE, IL — Firefighters on Thursday faced extremely dangerous conditions as they battled a massive fire at a propane plant in Gurnee.

The blaze was first called in at 11:57 a.m. Thursday at Pinnacle Propane Express, 3895 Clearview Court, as a pallet on fire. But when the first crews arrived on scene they found Pinnacle had been evacuated and learned stacks of 20-pound gas cylinders, located in the back of the building, had caught on fire. There were hundreds of these cylinders stacked up on pallets that stretched around the building.

“The cylinders were classified as empty but there was some residual propane inside,” Arnold said. “And that caused the fire to spread fairly rapidly.”

As the fire grew, the mostly empty propane cylinders were a huge hazard as they caused several mini-explosions and were catapulting out and up into the air — in all directions.

“They were exploding and becoming like mini-missiles,” Arnold said.

One of those mini-missiles was later found in a business 300 feet away and caused damage to that business.

Angel Schultz, a director of operations at a nearby business, said within 30 minutes of firefighters first arriving on scene, those in the area could hear explosions and see the “propane tanks actually flying through there like popcorn,” the Daily Herald reports. This scared several, and “people started running.”

"You could feel it. You could feel the ground shake," Schultz told the Daily Herald. "You could see propane tanks flying through the air, so a lot of people were nervous, especially people who work there — they're more familiar with how dangerous this stuff is."

One local resident reported “hundreds of explosions” going off, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner Facebook page.

For those fighting the fire, the main concerns lie at the end of the line of mostly empty cylinders where there were two 30,000-gallon propane tanks that were 70 percent full. If those tanks caught fire, fire officials feared they could be dealing with a massive explosion.

“We had three lines on the fire, and it was just continuing to grow to where it continued to become involved and was getting close to those other 30,000-gallon tanks,” Arnold said. “Our main concern was a blevy — a rupture of a (30,000-gallon) tank.”

That is why it was quickly determined shortly after firefighters arrived on scene that an evacuation of the area was necessary. The Gurnee Police Department evacuated homes and businesses within a quarter of a mile of the propane plant. Willie Meyer, a deputy chief for the Gurnee Police Department, told the Daily Herald people were bused away from the area. The village also used its emergency alert phone system to aid in the evacuation. Streets in the area were also closed down as was the Union Pacific Railroad. The village advised people to avoid the area and, at one point during the day, asked people not to call the police department unless they had an emergency.

“If it became apparent that fire was not gaining control, we would have evacuated more,” Arnold said.

Thankfully, that was not necessary. But the blaze did come close to one of the 30,000-gallon tanks causing “flame impingement” to the tank. But, with the help of 35 fire departments and the use of 600,000 gallons of water, as well as massive amounts of foam meant to quell the blaze, fire crews were able to get the fire stabilized, Arnold said. The scene was cleared by 5:15 p.m., and homeowners and businesses owners were allowed to return to their respective homes and businesses.

At its height, the blaze was classified as a 7-alarm fire, which is a term fire officials use when referring to the amount of mutual aid called in. A 7-alarm is the largest you can have without calling in “outside help,” Arnold said.

No one was injured in the blaze. Arnold said the incident was among the most involved and largest fires the Gurnee Fire Department has handled in its history and a very “high-stress” situation for the firefighters on scene.

Gurnee Mayor Krysti Kovarik in a Facebook post Friday evening praised local firefighters, police officers and public works employees on a job well done.

In a Facebook post earlier in the day, she asked residents to "please keep all our public safety personnel and the business in your prayers right now."

The Gurnee Fire Department is continuing to investigate the blaze, and no details were available on what exactly caused the fire. Agents from the United States Department of Transportation will also be on scene Friday to inspect Pinnacle Express, said Gurnee Fire Department Lt. Jeff Douglas.

MORE ON PATCH

• Gurnee Fire: Homes, Businesses Evacuated as Firefighters Battle 7-Alarm Blaze at Propane Plant
  
• Gurnee Fire: Propane Plant Fire 'Stabilized' After 30 Departments Battle Blaze for Hours

Photo credit: Lisa Syc of Lake Villa