Lightning Likely Cause of Natural Gas Pump Station Fire

7/23/2012 (Updated 7/24/2012 8:57:09 AM)

(Source: Kate Thornton)

A lightning strike is likely the cause of a fire that broke out just before 6:00pm Monday at a natural gas pump station on 17 Patterson Road in Windsor.

Windsor resident Bert Scherer told Fox40 he was watching the storm when he noticed a lightning strike very close to the pump station which is about a half mile away from his home.  Scherer said within a minute he saw a blazing fire above the tree line and called 9-1-1.  "They were huge flames.  I mean really big.  It was kind of scary," said Scherer. 

Patterson Road was closed off while fire crews including a foam truck from Vestal Fire Department worked to contain the blaze.  As a safety precaution, people living within a quarter mile of the fire were asked to evacuate until further notice.

A few families took refuge at the West Windsor Fire Department.  Cindy Lount, who lives just down the road from the station, said she and her family were asked to leave their home around 6:00pm.  Lount and other neighbors told Fox40 they've had issues with the pump station.  They say the station is very noisy and can be very loud in the middle of the night.  They also sat that several members of the Windsor Community have filed complaints.

The fire was contained by 7:30pm and evacuees were allowed to return to their homes by 8:00pm.




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