Sunday, January 12, at 10:20 am, the Hennessey Fire Department was dispatched by 911 stating, “The Mustang Gas Plant is on fire”. Many times they get this call because a well-meaning passerby sees the gas flair and calls in a fire. This day, it was real. When the firefighters arrived there were flames visible inside the gas processing plant near the south end of the facility.
This gas processing facility is located 2 miles south of the Town of Hennessey on S Hwy 81,formally known as the Exxon Plant. It was purchased by Mustang Gas Products in 2002 and underwent a remodel several years ago.
When the firefighters arrived, the Mustang Gas crews had already safely evacuated and were in their muster positions at the intersection of HWY 81 and Exxon Rd (E650 Rd) and Exxon Rd and N2860 Rd.
Hennessey fire command called for an evacuation of the surrounding area, especially the Quick RV Park, which is located directly south of the facility. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed all lanes of US-81 from E0640 RD to E0660 RD just south of Hennessey, traffic was re-routed on county roads. Kingfisher County District 2 assisted by using road graders to block traffic on three county roads.
The Hennessey firefighter’s wives opened the fire station for anyone needing shelter during the evacuation. Brandon McKay, with Oklahoma Drone Recovery Co, flew his drone over the plant to give the emergency crews a better look at what the issues were. By noon, the fire had been brought under control and Mustang employees, along with Hennessey Fire approached the affected area of the plant to survey the damage. Shortly after Hennessey Fire command called for the reopening of roads and to allow residents to return to their homes.
Agencies assisting with this incident included Kingfisher County Emergency Management, Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Office, Kingfisher County 911 Dispatch, Kingfisher County District 2, Hitchcock Fire Department, Enid Fire Department, Dover Fire, Loyal Fire Dept. Oklahoma Drone Recovery Co, and OHP. Photos By AAH Jack Quirk
