SILVERTON, Ore. (AP) — Silverton, Ore., officials say fire ignited hundreds of gallons of vegetable oil and used motor oil in a storage yard, sending up black smoke visible for miles. Fire Capt. Ed Grambusch says burning vegetable oil that spilled from plastic barrels “looked like lava had caught fire and was just flowing.”
The Statesman Journal reports that the fire late Thursday afternoon also damaged a large shop and torched a half dozen large fir and cedar trees. About 1,200 gallons of vegetable oil and 275 gallons of motor oil were stored at the site. Grambusch says at least 800 gallons of the vegetable oil caught fire and that fire then ignited the motor oil.
More than 25 firefighters responded. One suffered a minor injury.
Grambusch says the vegetable oil was to be refined into biodiesel.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Silverton is east of Salem.
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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com
