Gas meter catches fire at Perry Township gas well
A fire that erupted from a leaking gas line meter at a natural gas well in Perry Township sent flames 25 feet high before the gas was shut off Wednesday night.
No one was injured in the fire at the Pleva No. 2 well, which is owned by Penneco Oil Co. of Delmont and located in a wooded area of a farm on Court Road Extension near Virgin Run Lake, said A.J. Boni, township supervisor and volunteer fire department chief.
The fire was reported just before 7 p.m., and emergency responders cleared the scene around 8:15 p.m. after Penneco crews shut off the gas going to the meter, Boni said.
“Penneco had a quick response. A quick response helps,” Boni said.
A heater that protects the meter from cold weather ignited gas that leaked from the meter, he said. The line, which the meter was attached to, sends gas under 60 pounds of pressure from the well to a transmission pipeline, he said.
“We had flames a good 25 feet in the air,” Boni said.
The fire caused an estimated $5,000 in damages to Penneco equipment at the site, he said.
Along with the township fire department, Fayette County’s hazardous materials team and Fayette EMS responded to the fire. The Fayette City Volunteer Fire Department was placed on standby.