LAFAYETTE, IN — A large tank of a chemical solvent exploded about 12:35 p.m. Wednesday, prompting a response from at least three fire departments to the area of Tippecanoe County Road 400 South and U.S. 52.
The 10,000-gallon tank had only 1,000 or 2,000 gallons of toluene in it when it exploded, Wea Township Fire Department Public Information Officer Drake Dussault said.
About 30 minutes after being dispatched, Dussault said crews already extinguished the fire. Firefighters had cooled nearby tanks by spraying them with water, so there was no danger of additional spontaneous combustion.
The tank is on property used by Swift Fuels. Dussault said the facility makes jet fuel, and the toluene was a component of the fuel mixture.
The fire crews on scene canceled a request to Purdue Fire Department for more foam, Dussault said.
Toluene, according to a Google search, is a common solvent found in many products, including paint thinners, nail polish, adhesives and gasoline.
No one was injured in the fire or response, and everyone has been accounted for, Dussault said.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Fuel tank on U.S. 52 explodes; fire quickly doused with no injuries
Reporting by Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
