Denton Gas Well Burns After Lightning Strike
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DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A gas well exploded and burned late Thursday night after an apparent lightning strike during severe weather which moved through North Texas. It happened at about 10:00 p.m. at a Vantage Energy site in Denton.
The site had been used for gas drilling, but was shut down due to low production. Vantage Energy spokeswoman Nancy Farrar said that it was "not a producing well," and confirmed that lightning was believed to be the cause of the fire.
A second gas well at an adjacent site was producing, but Vantage Energy workers and Denton Fire Department officials were able to close it off so that the fire did not spread. Emergency crews decided to let the fire burn itself out, a process that lasted until about 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning.
The site is located north of Highway 380 in Denton, and flames from the fire could be seen from Interstate-35. Officials shut down the interstate's service road in an effort to ensure the safety of drivers.
There were no injuries reported throughout this incident. Vantage Energy workers on Friday, with help from state and local agencies, will begin cleaning up the mess that was left from the lightning strike and fire.