Levelland firefighters battle tank battery fire at FM 1585 and Hwy. 385

LEVELLAND, Texas (KCBD) - Levelland firefighters fought a tank battery fire at FM 1585 and Hwy. 385 Friday night into Saturday.

The call came in late Friday night around 11:20 p.m. Multiple units responded.

Levelland Fire Department tells us the fire was started by a lightning strike on a salt water disposal tank battery owned by Key Energy. Four units were on fire when firefighters arrived on the scene.

Levelland firefighters are on the scene of a tank and battery fire at FM 1585 and Hwy. 385. — Levelland firefighters are on the scene of a tank and battery fire at FM 1585 and Hwy. 385.(Levelland Fire Department)

Levelland Fire Chief Bill Durham said, “Any time there’s a tank battery or something of this nature, we will kind of group away from it, make our plan and then go into it. We had so many on fire, we shut down the highway at 385 and 1585 and then at 3261 and 1585 to keep everyone out of the area until we can make it manageable.”

The site was still smoking south of Levelland on Saturday morning after five to seven tanks erupted in flames, sending debris and tank lids flying.

Twelve firefighters and representatives from Key Energy responded after the strike.

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