Lightning strike triggers fire in three natural gasoline tanks at Explorer Pipeline facility in Glenpool, Oklahoma

A suspected lightning strike triggered a fire involving three natural gasoline storage tanks at the Explorer Pipeline facility in Glenpool, Oklahoma, at approximately 08:33 CDT (13:33 UTC) on August 17, 2026, prompting evacuations and shelter measures around the site. No injuries were reported. Officials said the fire was no longer actively burning by 20:30 CDT (01:30 UTC on August 18), and the response transitioned to cleanup and recovery on August 18.

Emergency personnel responded at approximately 08:33 CDT (13:33 UTC) on August 17 to the Explorer Pipeline facility at 1312 W. 126th Street. Glenpool Police initially reported explosions involving two tanks, while subsequent updates from Explorer Pipeline and city officials said the fire ultimately involved three tanks.

Explorer initially said that lightning had struck a tank at the Glenpool tank farm and caused the fire. Company president and CEO Mark Hurley later said conditions at the time led Explorer to strongly suspect a lightning strike. The three affected tanks contained natural gasoline, also known as pentanes plus, a liquid hydrocarbon product used in motor-fuel blending and other applications.

The National Weather Service office in Tulsa reported at 07:55 CDT (12:55 UTC) that a cluster of thunderstorms was moving east across northeastern Oklahoma with cloud-to-ground lightning.

Authorities established evacuation and shelter measures around the facility while air quality was monitored. The shelter-in-place recommendation was later lifted after monitoring found no immediate air-quality hazard at ground level, while a voluntary evacuation recommendation remained in effect for residents between 126th Street and 131st Street South, from Elwood Avenue to U.S. Highway 75.

Firefighters used foam to suppress the petroleum fire and cool the affected tanks. At approximately 20:30 CDT on August 17 (01:30 UTC on August 18), officials said the fire was no longer actively burning and that foam deployment had eliminated the smoke plume and all visible flames. By 10:30 CDT (15:30 UTC) on August 18, the response had transitioned to cleanup and recovery, while continued air-quality monitoring showed no contamination in the surrounding area.

The incident interrupted pipeline operations at Glenpool. Explorer said operations in and out of the facility had been shut during the response, while pipeline operations outside Glenpool remained functional.

“Explorer Pipeline will continue to manage operations and remediation at the site. Williams Fire & Hazard Control and US Fire Pump will lead the ongoing cooling efforts of the impacted tanks, while air quality monitoring also continues. Tank inspectors are on-site,” the company said on August 18.

“Response crews continue to monitor conditions around the facility to help ensure the safety of the public. The timeline of resuming full operations north and south of the facility is under review,” Explorer added.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region VI report documents a similar lightning-triggered fire at the same Explorer Pipeline facility on June 12, 2006.

EPA said lightning ignited Tank 373 at approximately 09:00 local time near U.S. Highway 75 and 126th Street; the tank contained approximately 19 555 m³ (123 000 barrels) of unleaded gasoline. The associated pipeline and nearby power lines were deactivated during the response.

EPA reported that nearby residents were evacuated during the 2006 incident and that others within 1.6 km (1 mile) of the facility were instructed to shelter in place.

Firefighters applied foam and brought the fire under control later that day. Air monitoring detected no hazardous chemical concentrations above background levels in downwind residential areas, while firefighting runoff remained within secondary containment and no gasoline migration into local streams was recorded. No injuries were reported.

Feature image: A lightning caused fire at a home in Chesterfield County, Virginia on July 6, 2026. Credit: Chesterfield County Fire and EMS