A fiery incident at a propane facility near the border of Pierce County and Kitsap led to two employees being critically injured yesterday. According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department Blotter, the blaze occurred around 2 pm at the 15800 block of 66th Ave. NW in the Gig Harbor/Purdy area when liquid propane was accidentally released and ignited by an unknown source.
The fire, which involved a 120-gallon tank of propane, might have caused even wider-scale damage if not for the actions of the two employees who were hurt in the blaze. Despite the initial chaos and their injuries, the two workers, aged 57 and 66, managed to shut off the main gas valve, which prevented further disaster. The preliminary investigation from the Pierce County Fire Marshal reinforces the accidental nature of the fire with details of the incident still unfolding.
Both employees were subsequently airlifted to a local hospital, where they are being treated for severe burns and remain in critical condition. The Gig Harbor Fire Department, along with deputies, responded to the emergency calls and were met with the large fire which they quickly worked to contain.
