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Volatile Oklahoma City power plant fire prompts evacuations

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Smoke fills the air as a insulated tank that contains 7000 gallons of heating oil and glycerol burns after catching fire at the OG&E Power plant near NW 10th St. in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Area businesses were evacuated by the fire department as a safety measure. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP)

OKLAHOMA CITY – A 7,000-gallon (26,500 litre) oil tank is on fire and billowing thick, black smoke at an Oklahoma City power plant.

Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson says the immediate area was evacuated Thursday morning out of concern that the tank at the Oklahoma Gas & Electric plant could explode. He says that the danger has since subsided.

Fulkerson says the tank contains a mixture of glycol, heating oil and possibly natural gas. He says spraying water on the tank made the fire worse.

He says fire crews retreated half a mile (0.8 kilometres) from the tank and are monitoring the fire while they wait for it to burn out

Up to 14 businesses have been evacuated and the fire service is warning the public to steer clear because of the smoke.

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Abbey Westbury

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