Residents react to Bethany tank battery explosion

BETHANY, Okla. (KFOR) — Storms swept through the metro Sunday night with severe damage being reported in multiple areas including Bethany.

However, their damage began before the storm arrived when a large tank battery was struck by lightening and erupted in flames.

Resident in the area told News 4 they could hear the boom, feel the explosion, see the flames thousands of feet up in the sky and smell the fire. At first, they thought it was just thunder from the storms moving in.

"I was actually coming to my parents to shelter from the storm, but when I got here, we seen it engulfed in flames," said Shannon Moore, who lives close to the explosion site.

As if taking shelter from a severe storm wasn't enough, residents in Bethany were dealing with an explosion near by as well.

"I was in the shower whenever it happened," said James Janzen, who lives close to the explosion site. "I heard a big boom, and then after I got out came and look, there was just a whole bunch of smoke all up in the air."

Officials say a large tank battery was struck by lightening and exploded, resulting in a huge fire close to neighborhoods.

"I saw a whole bunch of black smoke in the air," Janzen said. "You could see, like, the orange up in the sky from the flames."

"It was awful, it was," Moore said. "I mean, not like a smell I'd ever smelt before, but it was a strong oil odor. We could see it from our backyard, but then as we got closer, I mean, it just looked like it was covering at least three to four house spans is what it looked like."

The Bethany Fire Department says firefighters from Warr Acres and Yukon came to help, as did Bethany Police and Pafford EMS. Despite the violent flames and explosion, no one was hurt.

"I just think it was a very odd event," Moore said. "It was something that's probably going to be a once in a lifetime thing."