Two employees of Bulk Transfer were injured after a fuel tank exploded in downtown Gallup on Nov. 12.
Around 10 am the Gallup Fire Department and Gallup Police Department were dispatched to the area of Roundhouse Road after they received multiple reports of an explosion and a fire. While responding, due to the amount of fire and smoke noted coming from the area, all off duty GFD personnel were asked to respond.
The first fire department unit arrived on scene at 10:09 am hours and reported that two commercial semi-tank trucks were on fire along with a large ground fire. First arriving GFD units also encountered an employee of the facility who was injured. Crews started patient care and the employee was later transported to the hospital by MedStar Ambulance.
Crews found one semi-tank truck that had a rapid failure of the tank with a heavy ground fire around the semi. The second semi-truck had the cab ingulfed in fire that was impinging on another tank trailer with a large amount of fire on the ground burning between the two semi trucks.
Fire crews deployed a hose line to knock down the semi cab fire and to prevent the fire from extending to the second semi-tanker. This was successfully accomplished. Additional fire units arrived and established a water supply after deploying 800 feet of five-inch supply line from a fire hydrant and deployed a second hose line with foam to start fire extinguishment on the semi-tank that was on fire along with the ground fire. A third hose line was deployed as a safety line and to protect a nearby building if needed.
Fire crews met with site personnel who noted that several valves were open that were adding fuel to the fire. These valves were engulfed in fire and fire crews used the hand lines to push the fire away from the valves, allowing fire crews to shut them off stopping the flow of fuel. Once the fuel flow was stopped fire crews were able to extinguish the remaining ground fire. The fire was reported knocked down and under control at 10:45 am and the fire was fully extinguished at 11:08 am. Fire crews also assessed a second employee of the facility who was also transported to the hospital later in the incident.
During the time of the incident the GPD and City of Gallup Streets Department conducted traffic control and shut down Highway 66 and Maloney Avenue due to the number of onlookers who were stopping to take pictures and video of the incident. This congestion increased the potential for traffic collisions and reduced the access for other responding emergency units. These personnel also assisted with evacuating two nearby businesses due to the smoke and their short distance to the incident.
At 10:29 am an emergency alert through the Everbridge mass notification system was sent out alerting citizens of the incident. At 10:53 am a second emergency alert was sent out notifying citizens of the street closures in the area and at 11:03 am a third emergency alert was sent out saying the incident had been stabilized and the closed streets would be opening.
The fuel that was burning included an unknown amount of diesel and gasoline along with parts of the two semi-trucks. No other chemicals are known to have burned in the fire.
The New Mexico State Police arrived on scene with their Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Officer to assist with the start of the incident investigation in conjunction with the GFD Fire Marshal. NMSP also assisted with traffic control and evacuation of the nearby businesses.
The cause of this incident is currently under investigation.
