Libby Volunteer Fire Department battles propane fire

The Libby Volunteer Fire Department responded to a May 7 propane fire on Second Street.

Scott Beagle, first assistant fire chief with the department, said the blaze started when a heating unit connected to an underground storage tank at the Schnackenberg Funeral Home malfunctioned. Pieces in the unit’s regulator melted and a steady stream of ignited propane shot out of the system causing small spot fires.

Down the street at the Lee Gehring Field, announcers alerted fans, who had come to watch the Logger A team play their first home game of the season, to stay away from the blaze. In the stadium parking lot, a small group of spectators watched the flames but kept their distance out of concern that the underground tank could catch fire.

Six firefighters and one engine responded to the scene. Beagle said volunteers suppressed the fire by first shutting off the inflow of propane to the heating unit and then shutting down the unit itself. Employees with AmeriGas assisted the department in dealing with the propane system.