CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Clovis firefighters Tyler Adams, left, and Dustin Oliver extinguish an old underground fuel tank that caught fire Friday morning near the Curry County Special Events Center. The fire started while the tank was being cut into pieces for removal.
CNJ staff
An old underground fuel tank near the Curry County Special Events Center caught fire while being cut into pieces for removal Friday morning.
Clovis Fire Chief Ray Westerman said the fire was reported around 10:30 a.m. and was quickly extinguished using foam spray.
No one was injured.
“They’re going to discontinue that and find another way to haul it off,” he said, explaining heat generated by cutting the metal was enough to ignite petroleum residue that still remained in the tank.
The fire belched a plume of dark smoke that could be seen as far north and 21st and Prince streets.
Westerman said though the fire was near the events center, it did not disrupt the New Mexico High School Rodeo Finals being held there.
He said it also didn’t interrupt road construction on nearby East Brady Avenue.
