Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Department
P.O. Box 11
Marvel, CO 81329
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, October 30, 2009
Contact: Steve Ebner, Fire Chief 970/259-8714 or Doug Zalesky, Assistant Chief 970/259-7118
Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Department Statement on October 30, 2009 Evacuation in District
October 30, 2009 ~ Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Department (FLMFD) representatives said today that at approximately 10:00 a.m. on October 30 the department received a report of a possible poisonous gas emission and fire west of State Highway 140 in the area of County Road 122.
A natural gas transmission line, owned and operated by an out-of-state energy company, traverses that area. It is not uncommon for natural gas transmission lines to also carry hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). A combination of hydrogen sulfide and natural gas are commonly extracted during the drilling process, and the two are later separated during the refinement process.
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, highly toxic gas with a strong odor of rotten eggs.
"Upon my arrival in the vicinity a plume was visible to the naked eye," said FLMFD Chief Steve Ebner. "It is commonly understood that this particular transmission line carries high levels of hydrogen sulfide. After considering the potential risks, coupled with current weather information, the decision was made to evacuate residents in the affected area. We accomplished this through a reverse 911 effort as well as FLMFD personnel going door-to-door to contact residents in the area advising them to move to a safe location until the nature of the incident could be determined."
FLMFD and La Plata County officials moved quickly to establish an evacuation point at the Breen, CO Community Hall and residents were advised to move to that location.
"FLMFD personnel were able to access the remote area where the plume was originating from,"continued Ebner. "Because of the risks involved with hydrogen sulfide, personnel had to enter the scene in full personal protective equipment, including self-contained breathing apparatus. Access to this remote location was further complicated by the recent snowfall."
"After access was achieved, meters revealed that there was not a gas leak," said Ebner. "However, a slash pile in the near vicinity was being burned and that burn had not been called in to Durango Dispatch in advance of the burning. Subsequently, we lifted the evacuation order and allowed residents to return to their homes."
"These events underscore the need for residents to report any burning in advance to Durango Dispatch," added Ebner. "I want to stress that this incident did not involve any local energy extraction companies. FLMFD took all necessary precautions to protect residents in the area from what could have been a very serious incident and we appreciate their cooperation. I want to thank the agencies that provided mutual aid support for this event including the La Plata County Office of Emergency Management, Southern Ute Rangers, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, the Red Cross and Durango Fire and Rescue Authority. This incident was handled with professionalism and cooperation and the outcome was very positive."