Fire broke out Monday at distributor Santie Oils Sikeston, Mo., location, causing possibly several million dollars in damage. All employees were evacuated safely and the fire was contained.
The cause of the initial spark has not yet been determined, Lieutenant Rick Rapert of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety told Lube Report, but local and federal officials launched a routine investigation yesterday morning.
The lubricants and metalworking fluids distribution hub also housed liquid propane tanks, which caught fire and exploded soon after the first flames broke out, Rapert said. The conflagration continued as numerous propane tanks caught fire, causing the majority of damage.
While a handful of employees were on site at the time of the incident, he said, all quickly evacuated, and none sustained injuries. Local temperatures on Monday were in the 90s F, though, and at least two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion as a result of trying to control the fire, Rapert said.
He estimated that several million dollars of repairs may ensue from the incident due to demolished structures, damage resulting from spilled liquid products, loss of inventory, and subsequent water damage from controlling the fire.
The discharge of lubricants and hydraulic fluids posed environmental concerns, as some of the chemicals in those products were known to be extremely hazardous and flammable, Rapert noted.
The damage included at least one building in which Santie stored bulk lubricants such as gearbox oils and hydraulic fluids, he said. According to its website, Santie is an authorized distributor for brands such as Chevron and Texaco, Castrol, Royal Purple, Shell, Exxon Mobil, and more. The company has an additional location in St. Louis.
Lube Report could not reach Santie for comment by deadline.
Sikeston is is located about halfway between Memphis, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo.