KILLDEER -- One man was injured Sunday evening when a tank exploded at a waste facility north of Killdeer.
The man was welding on the tank within a facility owned by Environmental Driven Solutions and Renewable Resources on First Street Southwest when the explosion occurred, said Dunn County Emergency Manager Denise Brew. The cause has been cited as a buildup of fumes in the tank.
The man, who has not been identified, was transported to CHI St. Joseph’s Health in Dickinson by Killdeer Ambulance.
The facility treats contaminated soil and reclaims oil waste.
Killdeer and Dunn Center divisions of the West Dunn Fire Rescue responded to the incident.
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Fire Chief Jamie Reese said he received the call around 3:45 p.m. He said he and his men responded to what he described as a “fully-involved shop fire.”
Reese said around 20 firefighters and about seven units responded the scene, by which time he said the welder had crawled away from the fire.
He estimated around 30,000 gallons of water was used to fight the fire, which he said was a challenge due to high winds.
By 7 p.m., he said the fire was contained.
Brew said the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department and the North Dakota Highway Patrol also assisted, the later of which shut down Highway 22 for a time due to smoke.
A Killdeer Police officer was also on scene, she said.
Brew said the blast was powerful enough to blow out an overhead door.
Reese said crews from Environmental Driven Solutions were on the scene Monday for cleanup and reclamation of crude oil, which he said had leaked out as a result of the blast.
