Firefighters spent the night battling a massive fire that ignited after a lightning strike caused a gas explosion at a food waste recycling facility. The incident occurred on Monday evening in Cassington, Oxfordshire when a tank at the Severn Trent Green Power site was struck by lightning at approximately 7:20 pm BST. This caused the gases within the tank to ignite and explode, creating a large fireball that lit up the sky. Three out of five tanks at the facility were damaged, but the fire has since been brought under control. Crews remain on the scene to monitor the situation.
According to a spokesperson for the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, firefighters worked at the scene through the night and were eventually able to get the fire under control. The incident prompted a major response. At its height, 40 firefighters in six fire engines, police, and several ambulances were dispatched to the facility. The local police also shut down a major road and urged nearby residents to stay indoors with doors and windows closed.
Despite the severity of the incident, fortunately, no injuries were reported. The site is operated by Severn Trent Green Power Limited, which has confirmed that it is “working with the emergency services to make sure the site is safe so that we can assess the damage as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, witnesses to the explosion described seeing a bright orange light and flames rising into the sky. Some also reported experiencing power outages and flickering lights in their homes in the wake of the strike.
While the incident itself was dramatic, the fact that it was caused by a lightning strike is not entirely surprising. Lightning is known to be a frequent cause of gas explosions, especially in areas with a high concentration of natural gas or other flammable gases. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by lightning and the need to take necessary precautions to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future
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