Lightning strike ignites oil tanks near Whitesboro | Texas Headlines | kten.com

KTEN News Reporter/Producer

An oil tank farm exploded in flames at a well north of Whitesboro on Wednesday morning.

GRAYSON COUNTY, Texas (KTEN) — An oil tank farm exploded in flames at a well north of Whitesboro on Wednesday morning.

Grayson County Fire Marshal Andy Brazie told KTEN that a lightning strike at 10:52 a.m. triggered the blaze at the site in the 1200 block of Scarbrough Road.

"It had several oil tankers on fire," he said. "Water production tanks had actually ignited, and actually blew off their foundation."

State records show that this site features a 7,800-foot deep oil well. According to Trace Treadway, the explosion was so loud it interrupted his Wednesday brunch.

"We were eating at a restaurant, and we had seen a bunch of fire trucks going pretty fast down the road, and thought, 'Man... looks like a house.' At least, that's what we were guessing," he said.

Firefighters from Whitesboro, Sadler, Sherwood Shores and Gordonville worked for 90 minutes to extinguish the flames.

"They put them out with using, basically, foam to extinguish the fire," Brazie said.

The fire was put out at 12:13 p.m. No injuries were reported.

KTEN.com

KTEN News Reporter/Producer

Currently in Denison