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WEST UNION -- Four people were injured Friday morning when out-of-service well tanks exploded in Doddridge County.
The tanks had been moved to a location near 145 Whitehair Lane, located off Cabin Run Road south of U.S. 50 in the southwestern part of the county, where they were being cleaned and cut for scrap, "using some sort of torch," said Jake Glance, communications director for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
"It appears that the tanks were not completely empty of their contents, and whatever was in the tanks ignited," Glance said via email.
An initial report provided by Glance said the incident was reported at 10:05 a.m. Friday. It was initially thought to have occurred at a well pad, but Glance said later that was not correct.
The report said oil and gas from the tanks spilled into a nearby stream. However, since the initial report of the blast taking place at a well pad was inaccurate, it was not immediately clear Friday evening what the contents actually were.
"WVDEP is still investigating how much material resulting from this fire reached a nearby stream," Glance said in the follow-up email.
Doddridge County Emergency Management Agency Director George Eidel said the work was being done in a residential area, with houses surrounding the site. While information was still being gathered, Eidel said he believes all those injured were working on cleaning and disassembling the tanks.
The company for whom they worked could not immediately be determined.