Tank battery fire in NW OKC leaves burnt smell in the air 24 hours later - Guiyang BoldPath Industries Group Co.,Ltd

by: Hunter Elyse/KFOR

Posted: Jun 7, 2023 / 06:33 PM CDT

Updated: Jun 7, 2023 / 05:18 PM CDT

YUKON, Okla. (KFOR)- A tank battery fire exploded near Yukon Tuesday night after it was struck by lightning according to Oklahoma City Firefighters.

It happened near NW 34th Terr. Neighbors in the area say the sound was loud and they didn't know what was going on at first.

One person says it happened right behind his fence in the backyard and when he walked outside, he saw flames shooting 40 to 50 feet into the sky.

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"We’ve got to get out of here. We’ve got to get out of here," Donnie Brauchi.

Those were the thoughts running through Brauchi's head after this tank battery got struck by lightning and flew into the air, landing nearly 100 feet away from where it once stood.

"We look out our dining room window and it was a humongous ball of fire staring us right in the face. So immediately we decided we need to get out of the house," said Brauchi.

Other neighbors in the area told News 4 they weren't sure if they needed to evacuate.

"I thought, well, I better get my shoes on and get out of here, you know because there's some coming this way," said Larry Bennett, who lives in the area.

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Oklahoma City firefighters say when they got to the area, the rain put out most of the fire.

"Luckily, all the oil was contained in the catch basin and that's what burned off. It was just a small grass fire and one of our brush members extinguished it," said John Chenoweth, Assistant PIO OKC Fire.

While the fire faded out shortly after it started, Brauchi says he found a 10-foot pipe in his backyard, feet away from landing in his living room.

"It had taken flight and landed and dug a hole in the yard, probably 18 inches, and then fell over, pointing right at where my wife would have been sitting in her recliner," said Brauchi

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24 hours later, crews are now cleaning up the mess as there is still a burnt smell in the air.

Oklahoma City Fire says the estimated damage to the tanks and the surrounding area is about $20,000.

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