A fire that erupted at the Mustang Gas Plant in Hennessey on Sunday morning caused a highway closure and an evacuation of the nearby area, according to officials. The blaze, which kicked up around 10 a.m. near E. 650 Road and US-81, prompted local authorities to shut down all lanes of traffic on U.S. 81 from E0640 Road to E0660 Road, as reported by OKC FOX.
The Hennessey Fire Department Chief Brandon Scott noted the seriousness of the situation, saying "Approximately 10:05 a.m. we got the call for fire at the gas plant we didn’t exactly know what was going on, the gas plant kinda kept us out for a little bit until I could get there, and we found out what was going on," in an interview obtained by KOCO. Scott revealed that a valve had burst and caught fire due to a spark, describing the gas that was ablaze as being under high pressure, a combination that raises the potential for significant danger and prompted an immediate response.
Evacuation measures included a quarter-mile radius around the plant, impacting local residents who were assisted by fire crews conducting door-to-door notifications to safeguard from the threat of explosion. Traffic was rerouted using county roads to accommodate the highway closure during the incident, as confirmed by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Ben Olszewski with Mustang Fuel Corporation pointed out the onsite employee acted swiftly to shut the gas down avoiding any injuries, this employee's action coupled with the quick collaborative efforts of the plant and local law enforcement officials stood as essential in the management of the fire, Olszewski's statement highlighted the importance of such emergency protocols during crisis scenarios while confirming that thankfully, no injuries were reported as per information shared by News 9. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and investigations into the event's cause are ongoing.
