Incident Report

Subject:                     Delco Propane Fire Placed Under Control - 5 Injured

Date of Email report:   Fri 03/09/2010

Report Detail:

COLLINGDALE, Pa. - A Delaware County emergency official says an explosion at a Philadelphia-area welding supply company sent a handful of people to a local hospitals where they were treated for burns. Delaware County Emergency Services Director Ed Truitt says officials on the scene reported the civilians in Collingdale, Pa., were transported to hospitals with burns.  According to Truitt, an official on the scene said investigators were going to the hospital to interview the burned people to get a better idea of how the explosion occurred.  

According to Crozer Chester Medical Center spokesperson Kate Stier, one of the injured was taken to the Crozer Chester's burn unit and is listed in critical condition.  Three people were taken to nearby Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital for treatment, spokeswoman Bernice Ho said.
Two were released, while a third was being evaluated. Another person was treated at and released from Taylor Hospital.

The explosion occurred around 1 p.m. at Scully Welding Supply Corp. on the 300 block of Oak Avenue, near MacDade Boulevard.Neighbors reported hearing a series of explosions that rattled houses and sent debris flying. Firefighters were still pumping water onto the fire two hours after the first explosion.Truitt says authorities are evacuating about a quarter-mile in all directions for safety reasons. He says one firefighter was being treated for heat-related issues, as temperatures climbed into the 90s.SkyFox over the scene showed firefighters using hoses from far away to try to extinguish flames still burning next to large white tanks. Debris was scattered about the area.As of 4:30pm, there are still flames coming from under one of the tanks.  At 6:15pm the fire was placed under control. Truitt added that the response could go through the night depending on the fuel source the for the flames.Tammy Scanlon, 38, who lives a few hundred yards across the railroad tracks from Scully's Propane, heard the explosions go on for about 30 minutes."It sounded like a car backfired the first time. It got worse," she said. "You could feel the dishes shaking in my house. It was just one after another."Kimberly Bench, 47, said she felt the air suck in and out of her house and looked up to see a big piece of metal hurtling skyward during the blasts."We heard a big explosion. Our house rattled," she said.According to the American Red Cross, approximately 200 residents were asked to leave their homes. The Red Cross set up a "comfort center" at the Folcroft Fire Station for those who need a place to go. Food and water and updates were provided to evacuees.As of 10pm this evening, the evacuated residents were all allowed to retun home, with the exeption of 3-4 homes. 

According to its website, Scully Welding Supply was founded in Collingdale in 1947 and is one of the oldest distributors in the Philadelphia area.

Additional Documentation: