An otherwise quiet weekend in and around the Oklahoma town of Medford was shattered when an explosion occurred at the ONEOK natural gas facility in Grant County, about 100 miles northwest from Oklahoma City. The explosion was reported at about 2:00 p.m. The cause of the Oklahoma natural gas facility explosion has not yet been identified. Fortunately, as of Saturday evening, no fatalities had been reported.
What is known is that massive black plume of smoke is radiating across the northern part of the state as a result of the ONEOK natural gas plant explosion. The thick, black smoke is heading in a generally westward direction from the site of the blast.
Firefighters have arrived near the scene of the Oklahoma natural gas plant explosion. With that said, they were not yet able to do anything to combat the blaze that arose after the explosion. The fire is too intense and the heat too extreme to permit firefighters to get close to the facility to begin to contain the fire. In addition, firefighters feared additional explosions that potentially could occur at the ONEOK natural gas facility.
The Oklahoma natural gas plant explosion did prompt an evacuation of the area surrounding the facility. As of Saturday night, the evacuation zone has not been extended. On the other hand, people have not been permitted to return to their homes. Moreover, there is no current information as to whether the expanding plume of black smoke will itself warrant additional evacuations.
The reality is that plumes of smoke emitted from explosions like that at the ONEOK natural gas plant do tend to contain hazardous materials. These materials oftentimes are carcinogenic or cancer causing substances as well as other chemicals that have the potential to be very harmful and even fatal under certain circumstances.
The black plume of smoke is reported to be seen by people across the region. Specifically, residents of a community about 60 miles from the facility report being able to see a large plume of black smoke.
As of Saturday night, the fire had not extended beyond the ONEOK facility in Medford. The surrounding area had been untouched by the flames.
The city of Medford did lose power following the ONEOK natural gas plant explosion. Power was restored within a few hours.
The fire appears to have caused heavy if not complete damage to the natural gas processing equipment at the facility. Storage tanks at that location do not appear to have been destroyed as of this time.
Until further notice, a two-mile perimeter around the ONEOK natural gas plant has been roped off by officials. There is no specific indication as to what this area will be reopened to the public at large.
If you’ve been injured in a natural gas explosion, including an incident like the ONEOK natural gas plant explosion, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here to assist you. You can connect with our firm any time of the day or night by calling us at (800) 349-0000. We keep our explosion accident lawyer hotline staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, including all major holidays.
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