An announcement from the Winamac Volunteer Fire Department shares that this week they responded to a call of a possible anhydrous tank explosion in the middle of a field.
Anhydrous tanks typically store pressurized anhydrous ammonia, used as a nitrogen fertilizer.
Upon arrival to the scene, the Winamac VFD reports that it deployed its drone in order to safely check the area around the tank for anyone needing assistance; no one was located in the area.
The announcement states that after further investigation with its drone, the tank was determined to be heavily leaking from its front hose, but had not exploded or combusted.
Firefighters were advised that the tank was nearly empty, and after assessing safety variables such as weather, crews decided to maintain a safe perimeter and monitor the situation until the tank was empty.
After the tank had emptied itself, Keystone crews were able to approach and safely secure the tank with no reported injuries.
Winamac Volunteer Fire Department ended the announcement by stating that this incident is a perfect example of how valuable its drone equipment can be; allowing members to safely and quickly assess the situation, check for possible patients, identify the issue, and keep firefighters safe.
