By JEFF LIPTON
Firefighters burned off about 100 gallons of propane ‹ used to heat a backyard pool at 441 Windsor Place ‹ after they arrived on the scene at 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 1, fire officials said.
As a precaution, because the highly flammable gas can explode, residents were evacuated from their homes on Windsor Place, Windsor Avenue and Silver Lane during the tense four-and-a-half-hour operation. It was not known how many families were forced to leave.
³Oh definitely, it could have leveled a block,² said Timothy Biscay, second assistant chief of the Oceanside Fire Department. ³We¹re talking a major explosion. There definitely would have been fatalities if that ignited.²
Neighbors who smelled the strong odor of the gas called the fire department, which arrived within minutes. Firefighters discovered a major leak at the relief valve on top of the propane tank, where the gas was seeping into the air. Propane gas travels through the air at 15 feet per second and seeks the lowest pocket of air, usually seeping into basements, Biscay said. ³It¹s very dangerous,² he added.
Led by Chief Thomas McDermott, about 75 members of the OFD responded to the scene and, with the help of the Nassau County Fire Marshal¹s Hazardous Materials Unit and several surrounding fire departments, prepared to burn off the propane. They attached a hose to the outdoor tank, affixed a torch at the end and lit it, which sent flames shooting 20 feet into the air, Biscay said. They also used hose lines to dissipate the gas¹s vapors, he explained. Firefighters stood guard with hoses to ensure that the flames did not reach nearby structures.
³We had to empty the tank ‹ that¹s what we had to do to make it safe,² Biscay noted.
No one was reported injured during the incident.
At about 11:45 p.m., after all the propane was burned off, residents were allowed to return to their homes. Debbie Duryea, a Windsor Place resident who was evacuated, said she was concerned about the danger. ³Yeah, I was nervous, but I was also annoyed that I had to leave the house,² she said. ³It was a long time. My husband had left for work at 6 a.m. and [when he came home] he couldn¹t get back in to shower and change. It was very annoying.²
Neighbors said they were upset that a large propane tank was being kept in the neighborhood. ³I don¹t understand why they have a tank like that,² said one neighbor, who declined to be identified. ³Thank God the fire department took such precautions.²
When the tank was empty, a company that maintains propane tanks was called in to make the necessary repairs.
Biscay said that residents were cooperative, for the most part, during the evacuation. ³They understood that it was done with the best interests for their safety,² he said.
The owner of the home where the tank was kept was unavailable for comment, but his mother, who answered the phone, said, ³The firemen were perfect gentlemen, and a neighbor brought me out and helped me to their home.²
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
