Community Police & Fire

Large propane fire leaves two in critical condition

Two men are in critical condition after being injured in a large fire at a propane facility Wednesday, June 11, in Burley.

At about 2 p.m., Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One and Key Peninsula Fire Department responded to reports of a fire at the Cenex store just on the Kitsap side of the Pierce-Kitsap county line.

A large propane tank and propane truck were involved in the fire. Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One photo

Firefighters arrived to find a fire involving a 120-gallon propane tank and 3,200-gallon propane truck, according to a 3:04 p.m. Facebook post from the Gig Harbor department. They put out the flames and cooled nearby propane tanks to prevent further damage.

Medics took two injured people to a landing zone on the Peninsula High baseball field, where they were flown to a hospital. Bethel Burley Road was closed during the incident.

Pierce County Sheriff Spokeswoman Deputy Carly Cappetto said in an 8:30 p.m. Facebook post that deputies and Gig Harbor Fire learned that an accidental liquid propane release ignited by an unknown source caused the propane tank to catch fire.

Two Cenex employees were burned and flown to a hospital from the Peninsula High baseball field. Gig Harbor Fire photo

Though two employees suffered significant burns, they followed procedures and shut off the main gas to other propane sources. Their heroism prevented what could have been a much larger emergency, Cappetto said. The 57- and 66-year-old men were airlifted to a local hospital in critical condition.

The Pierce County Fire Marshal’s preliminary investigation indicates the fire was an accident, but the investigation is ongoing, she said.