The risk of an explosion at a rail car fire in Lincoln, California, has increased after the propane tank that is burning showed signs of melting, a fire official said on Wednesday, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Despite firefighters’ efforts to cool the tanker with water, it appears to be coming apart, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant told KCRA-TV.
The 29,000-gallon tanker is loaded with liquid propane. It caught fire midday on Tuesday at a Northern Propane Energy yard in Lincoln, a city of 40,000 north of Sacramento. Explosion fears prompted the evacuation of thousands of homes in the area. An explosion could cause a fireball that would consume blocks and hurl large pieces of metal up to a half-mile away, according to fire officials.
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