An entire hillside was ablaze Tuesday afternoon after several
oil tanks situated on a hillside between Farmers Valley and Rew
caught fire.

According to Rew Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Mike
Burgoon, his department received the call at about 3:04 p.m. and
was dispatched to Brooder Hollow off Route 46 near Coleville.

The tanks and property there are owned by Charis Energy of
Kerrville, Texas, Burgoon said. Black smoke could be seen billowing
from the burning tanks by passers-by on Route 46.

He said the fire is still under investigation, but is not being
treated as suspicious. No one was injured when Tuesday
afternoon.

The blaze actually started in a “tank battery” made up of six
tanks – three of them containing oil, Burgoon said, adding there
were more than 266 barrels of oil in all.

“The whole damn hillside was on fire,” Burgoon said. The tank
battery was engulfed by flames when firefighters arrived.

Several pieces of oil drilling and processing equipment, as well
as equipment for natural gas metering nearby the tanks also caught
fire. They were all destroyed, Burgoon said.

A damage estimate was not available Tuesday night, he said,
adding damages incurred because of the fire were “extensive.”

Burgoon said the oil that had caught on fire traveled through
nearby drainage ditches, creating a “flowing fuel fire” that
initially impeded firefighters from being able to battle the
blaze.

“We had to drive through the fire to get into our operating
positions,” he said. “There was fire on both sides of the
road.”

Crews were on scene until about 7:10 p.m., using a chemical
“foam” to extinguish the fire.

“Due to the time of day, this was a tremendous combined effort
of all departments involved,” Burgoon said. “Considering the shift
change, command and control went very well.” He specifically cited
Bill Gallup from the Norwich Township Volunteer Fire Department,
Dana Spittler from the Smethport Fire Department, Scott Thomas and
Bruce Manning from the county’s Emergency Management Agency.

“They did a tremendous job getting the equipment to the right
places,” he said. “It was a well-organized and well-executed
plan.”

Burgoon went on to say the state Department of Environmental
Protection officials on scene were even impressed with the local
effort to contain the oil spill that resulted from the fire.

A total of 54 people were on scene, as well as five engines,
three tankers, six utility vehicles and two all-terrain vehicle
“mules.”

The McKean County Emergency Management Agency and HazMat also
assisted at the scene. In addition to the Rew, Smethport and
Norwich Township fire departments, departments from Otto Township,
Eldred Borough, Eldred Township and Derrick City responded.