GREENWOOD, Texas — On Tuesday night, around 6:30 p.m., a fire occurred at the Targa gas plant near the intersection of FM 1379 and ECR 120 in Greenwood, Texas. The fire, which was caused by a gas leak, was burning all night until 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, when an emergency response team put it out, according to Midland County.
Midland County Fire Marshals originally reported that what happened at the Targa gas plant in Greenwood was an explosion. According to NewsWest 9 who spoke with Midland County Fire Marshal Justin Bunch, Bunch said it was not an explosion and it was a fire that caused some propane tanks to explode on site.
“There was leak in a line -- it ended up being I think a small leak -- and then caught fire and from there it just expanded," Bunch said.
The Greenwood Volunteer Fire Department, the Midland Fire Department and the Midland County Northeast Volunteer Fire Department helped contain the fire overnight.
The Midland County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident, evacuating residents within an estimated one-mile radius of the blast site.
Bunch added that it was a HAZMAT situation, which prompted those evacuations.
As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, residents in the area of the gas plant fire were able to re-enter their homes, as well as FM 1379 being reopened.
The fire was contained and the lengthy process was to bleed the gas lines out.
“So as long as it’s on fire there’s really no danger — as long as we’ve contained it, it’s not going to spread or any other containment," Bunch said. "So, like I said…gas line leaks or tank batteries, we typically just let it burn itself down until it gets manageable, and then we’ll go in and cool everything off for the company to go in and do their repairs or investigations.”
Bunch said they prepare for these situations.
“We have done drills with Targa on this exact scenario – not at that plant – but at several other plants they have, even in Martin County and stuff," Bunch said. "We’ve done tabletops and drills, and everything went really according to plan on this one.”
It’s a proactive approach between first responders and companies.
“The key is that their personnel are trained – they have equipment to contain it until the fire department can get there – and then the fire department works with the private sector," Bunch said. "It’s a partnership to make sure that we’re protecting their assets and we’re also protecting the community.”
Partnership and preparation to prevent any worst-case scenarios.
“We know each other beforehand," Bunch said. "We know the equipment that’s out there, we know the lingos, we can talk pretty quick and get everything under control. But yeah, it does have the potential in any of these to get out of hand pretty quick, but these facilities are built very safe. The chance of something like that are slim -- I mean extremely slim.”
There have been no reported injuries.
Wednesday morning, Midland County issued the following statement:
"Residents will be able to reenter homes at 10:30 am. FM 1379 will also reopen at 10:30 am. This is after Midland County Emergency Management and Fire Marshals Office have responded promptly and effectively to an explosion that occurred at the Targa gas plant, located at 4801 FM 1379. The incident, which was caused by a leak, was quickly contained by our emergency response team and was out by 6:30 am. The fire first occurred around 6:30 pm last night. As a safety protocol and precautionary measure, and at the request of the Midland Fire Department, the Midland County Fire Marshal’s Office worked diligently to evacuate residents within a mile radius to ensure the well-being of all individuals in the vicinity. Despite the challenges posed by the incident, we are pleased to report that there were no injuries as a result of the incident. Our team remained on-site throughout the night to manage the situation effectively and ensure the safety of the surrounding community. "After the leak caught fire, our priority was to swiftly address the situation and ensure the safety of everyone involved," said Justin Bunch, Fire Marshal for Midland County. "We are grateful for the collaborative effort with the Midland Fire Department and are relieved that there were no injuries reported.” Residents will be able to reenter homes at 10:30 am and FM 1379 will reopen. No further information is available." - Midland County