Local folks concerned, but not worried about well fire
Bob Watson said he can hear the noise from the natural gas fire at the well site from several miles away at the store his family has owned for decades in Greene County
“I can hear it roaring here at the store,” said Watson, 81, on Wednesday afternoon as he was ringing someone up from behind the cash register at Watson’s General Store in Bobtown.
Lorraine Adams of Mapletown Road said even though she lives about six miles away, she can hear the roar of the fire in the distance.
“There is a difference between a fire sound and the sound of a gas well burning,” she said. “Gas well sites sound almost like an airplane flying overhead — it’s constant noise. This doesn’t sound like crackling fire.”
Lisa Richards works at Mount Morris Tire and lives in Greene County.
“You can see the sky glowing at night for miles around from the fire,” said Richards, 40, of Dilliner.
Merri Jordan lives less than two miles from the fire.
“You could see the flames Tuesday during the day and in the evening,” said Jordan, 49, of Bald Hill Church Road. “I’m not worried. I don’t think we’re in any danger. The experts look like they are handling the situation.”
Watson said he was in the store’s cellar when his son Robby called to tell him about the fire. Watson said he went upstairs into his store and there it was — the noise. He said the fires and noise don’t bother or scare him because he’s faced more dangerous situations while he served with the U.S. Air Force. Watson, now 81, said he worked closely around armed bombs loaded onto bombers.
Watson said many of his customers have discussed the fire at the store, a popular gathering spot on Mapletown Road. The place still sells Coca-Cola in 8-ounce bottles among other necessities in Monongahela Township.
“A few people have come in and talked about it,” he said. “I think the people that live closest to the fire are the ones who are worried the most.”
Tuesday night, Adams took a few photos of the fire that she was able to see from a ridge on her farm. The photos show an orange tint that glows up against a night sky.
“I take pictures of everything,” said Adams, 26, a Greene County native. “I wanted to remember this because when people talk about it years from now, I’ll have pictures.”
Adams’ family has lived in that neck of the woods since the 1700s. Her family’s farms are a short hop from Mapletown High School, where she graduated valedictorian before attending Waynesburg University.
Adams said, like many people she knows, she is concerned about the worker who has been reported missing since the fire started. The worker has been identified by a Texas company as one of its employees.
“We’re very worried about that person,” Adams said. “We hope he is alright.”
Jordan added, “My heart goes out to him and his family who don’t know what happened — if he’s alive or dead. If it was my family, I would want people to be concerned about them. It’s a horrible situation. And it could happen to anyone.”
Jordan said the natural gas industry can be hazardous.
“It is a very dangerous way to make a living,” she said. “You don’t realize the danger they are putting themselves in every day until something happens.”
Adams said she is not as concerned about the fire because she lives a few miles away.
“For me personally, I am far away from the fire, so I’m not as worried,” she said. “They have the fire contained to a certain area. From what I hear, people in the area that live nearby are accounted for.”
Richards added, “There’s not a lot of smoke during the daytime, but you can definitely see it at night. And there are no weird smells. Everyone is talking about this.”