By Heather Michon
Correspondent
A major propane leak at Crofton Plaza on Lake Monticello Road forced evacuations and a multi-agency response on Sunday (May 19).
Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue (LMVF&R) Chief Richard Constantino has shared a detailed report on Sunday’s incident, which occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m.
En route to the scene, Constantino said they learned the propane tank was “underground in proximity to a building with a very big gas leak.” The incident was immediately upgraded, and additional crews from Palmyra and Fork Union were dispatched to the scene.
When they arrived, responders found propane flowing “freely and violently” from a 500-gallon tank.
With two business and the Sunday Farmer’s Market both at risk, “firefighters evacuated the endangered civilians and requested the businesses to close their establishments until the emergency was controlled,” said Constantino.
Because there was no nearby water supply, firefighters connected to a fire hydrant across the road at Village Oaks, 500 feet away. This continuous water supply helped control the spreading gas cloud, as other crew members made entry to a nearby building to make sure the propane did not find an ignition source.
Constantino said they had been assisted by an off-duty Tiger Fuel employee who happened to be at the Farmer’s Market and not only helped firefighters with the mitigation but assisted the AmeriGas representative who later arrived to plug the tank.
The damage was the result of a driver inadvertently running over the valve with his truck while attempting to park near the Farmer’s Market. The valve and part of the top of the tank was pulled free, allowing the gas to escape.
Nobody was injured in the incident.
Along with crews from Palmyra and Fork Union, LMVF&R was assisted by the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police, and VDOT.
