Propane vapors venting from a damaged thousand-gallon underground tank

Propane vapors venting from a damaged thousand-gallon underground tank between Center Tower and All Around Power on Wednesday drew a response from multiple area fire departments and forced the closure of Memorial Drive and the evacuation of nearby homes. Alerted at 11:04 a.m. to the potentially explosive situation, St. Johnsbury Firefighters quickly arrived, geared up with air tanks and began directing water over the tank. St. Johnsbury Fire Chief Brad Reed said the goal with the water is to contain the vapors and direct them away from potential ignition sources.  The other immediate need, said Chief Reed, was to get people to a safe distance away from the source of the propane leak. It meant closing a section of Memorial Drive between Mt. Pisgah Road and Breezy Hill Road and rerouting traffic. It also meant getting people out of neighboring houses and apartment buildings. While propane gas itself is odorless, a chemical compound is added to give it a detectable scent that was pungent around Center Tower as the tank vented.