DURANGO, Colo.—No injuries were reported from an explosion Wednesday that damaged a cooling tower and outbuildings, including a control room, at a natural gas field plant southeast of Durango.
The cause of the explosion at the Williams Production Co. plant was under investigation.
Durango Fire & Rescue Authority spokesman Dave Abercrombie said the explosion was reported at about 3:30 a.m.
“It was really loud,” said Diane Millich, who lives within a mile from the plant. “It was insane. It was like an M-80. It just startled everybody.”
A fire resulting from the blast burned two private vehicles.
Calls were made to 33 telephones to evacuate people within a half mile of the plant.
Williams spokesman Jeff Pounds said the seven employees who were at the facility at the time were safe, and no natural gas supplies burned.
Los Pinos Fire Protection District Chief Larry Behrens was among the first people to arrive at the scene. He said Williams employees told him the electricity went out, and when they went outside to see what happened, the cooling tower exploded.
Pounds said it was unclear when the plant might reopen.
A Williams spokeswoman said there was no immediate estimate of damage.
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Information from: The Durango Herald,
