PHOTOS: The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department released additional information on the explosion that occurred Wednesday evening near Sidney. The department said their teams were dispatched at about 8 p.m. to a saltwater disposal site that was on fire, with “large explosions” coming from the area.
Richland County Emergency Manager Brandon Roth said prior to the explosion there was a fire at the facility, but no one was on site. Then, at around 8 p.m., the facility exploded leading to a fireball in the sky and large fire.
Roth said crews from around the area were called to the scene, but it was not safe for them to actively fight the fire. He said that generally in cases like this, it’s best to quarantine the area, make sure the fire doesn’t spread, and let the fire burn itself out. Which, according to Roth, is exactly what happened in this case. “The facility contained multiple storage tanks and propane tanks which once heated, caused the explosions. Early reports showed the blast could be felt from up to 10 miles away,” SVFD said before adding that most of the damage from the fires was contained to the disposal site itself. Roth said the cause into the fire is under investigation, but incidents like this one are often caused by pressurized tanks.
Roth added that at this time there is no reason to believe the fire is suspicious in any way. SVFD and Roth said no one sustained injuries in either the fire or the recovery efforts. Crews stayed through the night to monitor the site before clearing the area at 7 a.m. Thursday morning.
KULR-TV NBC 8 Billings
