Two hurt in explosion, fire at Clinton propane operation

Nine fire departments responded to the fire at Rapid Xchange Clinton, at 6280 Hobbton Highway, which was reported at about 2 p.m. Susan Holder, assistant manager for Sampson County, said firefighters arrived to find a large fire in the tank storage yard with multiple 20-pound propane cylinders exploding in the area.

The fire charred a portion of a nearby farm field and some adjoining woods.

Firefighters were on the scene for more than three hours to control the spread of the flames and keep two 30,000-gallon propane tanks cool. In addition to the two tanks, roughly 25,000 20-pound propane cylinders posed an explosion danger, Holder said.

Both of the injured workers – one was airlifted from the scene by a Vidant Medical Center helicopter – were taken to the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

One firefighter was treated at the scene.

Authorities evacuated all homes and businesses in a 1-mile radius around the plant, Holder said, and a shelter was briefly opened at L.C. Kerr Elementary School in Clinton.

But the evacuation order was lifted shortly after 5:30 p.m., allowing people to return to their homes and businesses, and the State Highway Patrol reopened U.S. Highway 701 between Clinton and Newton Grove.

Parker Gas Co., which operates the Rapid Xchange plant, has a clean safety record over the last decade aside from three violations state regulators noted in 2009: improper storage of liquid propane gas containers, filling containers that weren't electrically interconnected and a potential for containers to be damaged during transit.

The company paid an $800 fine for the violations, according to state Department of Labor records.