Last flames put out from massive oil blaze

Fifty agencies worked six hours to get the fire under control, using water from a number of area sources and foam. Ohio EPA officials said the water used caused runoff of oil and debris to flow into surrounding waterways.

“It doesn’t look like there will be any long-lasting environmental impact,” said Heather Lauer, Ohio EPA spokeswoman. “There is no indication that any oil got below the ground. The facility had a concrete pad and containment area where (oil) could be collected.”

Investigators were unable to get in the building to test the soil Friday because the building was still hot. A small fire rekindled at the site around 3 p.m., but Pike Twp. firefighters were able to swiftly put out the blaze.

“If the building isn’t sound, we can’t go in,” Lauer said.

“We don’t actually know how much oil has burned off.”

Some smoke and a strong stench of burned petroleum and tires remained, but officials recorded no spike in air pollution, according to the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency. Officials there said the monitors situated in the area did not pick up any abnormal readings.

Oil runoff was found in an unnamed tributary of Donnels Creek which runs behind R.D. Holder. Veolia Environmental Services of Dayton cleaned up the oil, set up booms in the water and dug a trench off the waterway to intercept any additional oil or runoff.

Viki Hyslop lives just a block away from the oil company and owns land the tributary runs through. Hyslop, who lives at 6394 Detrick Jordan Pike, said R.D. Holder has always been a good neighbor and has been clean and safe.

“We’ve been farmers here for years ... so we’re concerned with the environment, but they assured us,” Hyslop said. “They immediately started to build a dam and clean up, so I feel good about the whole thing.”

The oil company supplies diesel fuel, heating oil, gasoline, Dragon racing fuel, biodiesels and lubricants, although owner Bob Holder said they only had lubricants at the scene.

Fire department officials at the scene said several petroleum products and fuel oils were at the scene, including 55-gallon drums of petroleum product.

Jack Shane, who lives next to the company at 6502 Detrick Jordan Pike, isn’t concerned about environmental damage. During the fire, firefighters kept a steady stream of water on the home to prevent it from burning. Shane said the only damage for him was some melted siding on the back of his home.

“Most of (the oil) is contained anyway because of the building design,” said Shane, who has leased the residence from Bob Holder for almost nine years.

For now, Shane said he has not been drinking the tap water and opting to drink bottled water.

Kristin Shoup at 6281 Detrick Jordan Pike said she and her husband discussed having their well water tested but said she thinks they are safe.

“We were just talking about it, but it doesn’t seem like it would affect us. The (fire) was kind of uphill from here,” she said.

Activity at the site had calmed down significantly by Friday evening. A crane ruffled through the debris at the scene, and firefighters remained on standby for any hot spots. Veolia Environmental had a trailer as crews worked in the area, and R.D. Holder had another trailer for the owner and insurance company officials to meet.

Bob Holder declined to comment. However a statement on the company website says it will operate out of a facility in Bellefontaine.

R.D. Holder supplies some school districts with diesel fuel to operate buses.

“We were concerned yesterday because R.D. Holder is our diesel fuel supplier,” said Michael Whitfield, business operations manager for Springfield City Schools.

The district’s transportation department had requested a supply of diesel fuel Thursday morning before the fire started.

“They did deliver, amazingly a load of fuel to us about 2:30 p.m. yesterday,” Whitfield said. “We’re good for the next month or so with our diesel fuel.”

The company’s other locations in Bellefontaine and Washington Courthouse also could provide fuel, he said.