Lightning ignites oil tank
Staff writer
The Lincolnville and Marion fire departments teamed up Friday to extinguish an oil fire near 250th Road between the two towns.
Lightning struck a Shawmar owned tank battery. Fire and smoke spewed from one tank. Marion firefighters cooled the opposite tank while Lincolnville firefighters put out the fire with foam, Lincolnville Fire Chief Lester Kaiser said. There was a danger of the other tank exploding
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to put out the fire after the call was made.
“The guys are pretty good at that,” Kaiser said proudly.
Kaiser said it had been awhile since lightning had struck a well or oil tank but that the occurrence is not uncommon.
“It kind of draws it,” Kaiser said of the metal structures attracting lightening. “Some places have more of these.”