Lafayette Fire provides information on fuel company explosion

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Officials with the Lafayette Fire Department released information on Friday morning regarding the reported explosion at a fuel company that led to the closure of U.S. 52 as well as business evacuations, but caused no injuries.

According to a news release from the department, crews from the Lafayette Fire Department and the Wea Township Fire Department were dispatched to Swift Fuels, located in the 4700 block of E 400 S in Lafayette, at around 12:36 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23.

This comes after multiple reports were made of an explosion and heavy black smoke at the site, the release said. As crews were on their way, other teams, including the Lafayette Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team, were requested for assistance.

When crews arrived, they found a tank on the site that was reportedly “fully involved in fire.” Crews encountered heavy flames and smoke, causing teams to apply “a large volume of water… to suppress the flames and protect the additional tanks.”

“The rapid and coordinated actions of all the first-arriving crews, including strategic apparatus placement and the early decision to deploy master water streams — were instrumental in preventing further explosions and minimizing damage to the facility,” the release said.

The release said that toluene, a highly flammable component used in aviation fuel, was identified as the substance that was burning. After the fire was put out, the businesses and U.S. 52 were cleared to resume operations.

Officials said that there were no injuries and the remaining product was contained within the tank. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Wea Township Fire Department.