Natural Gas Field Fire May Burn Until Thursday, Crews Headed From Texas To Assess Situation

Natural Gas Field Fire May Burn Until Thursday, Crews Headed From Texas To Assess Situation by Megan Jurgemeyer, December 12, 2010, The Denver Channel
A fire that ignited early Sunday morning at a natural gas storage field near Byers may burn until Thursday, an El Paso Corporation spokesman said Monday. Officials say flames are about 15-to 20-feet high and it’s not clear how the fire started. The hope is that special equipment that arrived from Texas on Monday will allow investigators to get close enough to the well to see what’s damaged and the best way to contain it. Surrounding pipelines are now sealed. Area residents are concerned. “I figure I might be back in Denver if it blows up, if there’s that much gas,” said James Bahl, who lives less than a mile from the fire. “I can see it. You can hear the roar at night when the winds blow just right,” Bahl added. 7NEWS asked if there is any threat of the well exploding. “That we don’t expect to happen,” said Robert Newberry, a spokesperson for the El Paso Corporation. … The gas storage field is operated by Colorado Interstate Gas (CIG), a subsidiary of the El Paso Corporation. … The company has offered to facilitate temporary lodging for residents in two homes near the storage field, he added