Lightning sparked three tank battery fires Friday afternoon - two in Howard County and one in Glasscock County - and left firefighters on high alert for hours while they evaluated re-ignition risks and prepared for additional weather-related emergencies, officials said.
Flames were extinguished without incident and no injuries were reported at the three locations, authorities confirmed.
The first blaze broke out around 1 p.m. at an oilfield site on Highway 176, approximately four miles west of Interstate 20, after lightning struck a tank battery, according to Howard County Volunteer Fire Chief Tommy Sullivan.
The second one ignited on Ranch Road 33 in Glasscock County. Crews later rushed to a third on East Howard Field Road.
The blaze on Highway 176 caused a chemical reaction within the bottom portion of the tank, Sullivan said, and led to a booming explosion heard miles away.
"Usually, [fire-caused explosions] blow the tops off of them," he explained. "This one failed on the bottom, which makes that tank like a 'hydro-rocket.'"
The force of the resulting blast was exacerbated by high pressure and heat, the fire chief added. Surrounding equipment and a nearby mailbox were also blown apart and flung through the air.