Propane fire causes fertilizer plant concerns

Ballinger, Tex.-A fire at the propane station outside the plant in the afternoon of March 31 caused concerns for the operating areas at Buddy’s Plant Plus here where Scotts Miracle-Gro and other brands are produced. Fortunately, Buddy’s President Edward Studer told Green Markets, alert action by the local fire department kept flames from spreading and limited losses to the main tank, eight propane bottles, a forklift, and a small storage shed in the propane area, amounting to about $20,000. “If the big tank had ruptured we would have had a major incident,” Studer reported. “We did evacuate our plant and call off the night shift as a safety measure.” The local press reported that about 100 people were evacuated from about 50 nearby homes, and a high school baseball game also was postponed. Studer said fire crews kept the large tank cooled down and that took care of the situation, adding that had it been otherwise the damage could have been extensive. The fire erupted while the propane bottles were being filled from the 5,000-gallon tank, which contained about 3,000 gallons of propane at the time. For some unknown reason, one of the smaller tanks ignited and the fire spread to the other tanks. “Our production facilities were not affected at all and everything was back to normal Wednesday afternoon,” Studer said. “We’re very pleased with the outcome.”