Fire Department Opts To Let Tank Fire In Weld County Burn Itself Out
GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) - A fire at a fracking wastewater facility in Weld County started Friday afternoon when a tank was struck by lightning. On Saturday crews were on site making sure the wastewater didn't go into irrigation ditches or the soil.
The facility is located near the Greeley Airport. Area residents told CBS4 the fire flared up during the overnight hours and exploded again. The Greeley Fire Department decided to let the fire burn itself out. It was completely out by Sunday afternoon.
"It was just huge flames," resident Patty Schwalm said. "The whole top blows off just like a pressure cooker."
The tanks contained a byproduct of hydraulic fracturing and drilling. The fire chief said the water that's collected is separated from crude oil and chemicals.
"Flames and smoke and a couple loud booms," resident Joe McClellan said.
RELATED: Fracking Wastewater Tank Explosion: Concerns Over Contaminated Water Reaching Farms
Schwalm said she's learned to live with the treatment site but she's not happy about what it's done to her neighborhood.
"I was opposed that they opened it 24/7 and trucks are coming and going all day and all night," she said.
There's speculation nearby fracking might have caused earthquakes last year. The University of Colorado has been studying that possibility.
