Lightning, cow, and chain’s sparks blamed for fires, wrecks

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

While lightning was blamed for a violent yet short-lived tank battery fire in the Stairtown community, sparks from a truck’s chain ignited a dry field off SH 142 west of Lockhart, and a cow on SH 130 started a chain reaction of two tractor-trailer wrecks, one spoiling a load of Canadian bacon and the other causing the semi-truck to catch fire.

On Friday at about 4 a.m., a tractor-trailer hauling Canadian bacon to Mexico hit a cow near the SH 80 intersection near Fentress. The wreck caused a tractor-trailer following the first truck to wreck, roll over and catch on fire.

Caldwell County Emergency Management Chief Hector Rangel said SH 130 was closed for nine hours as traffic was re-routed.

One of the drivers was transported to an area hospital for medical attention.

Rangel said the following agencies responded to the incident: Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department, Mid-County VFD, Maxwell VFD, Martindale VFD, Lockhart EMS, Texas Department of Public Safety, SH-130 Road Crews, Commercial Towing and Hazmat Company, Quantum Towing Company, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and Caldwell County Emergency Management.

On Friday night, lightning struck a pipeline, traveled along the metal before reaching an oil field tank battery which burst into flames off FM 671 near Bugtussle Lane near Stairtown.

Rangel said that tank batteries often carry as much as 15,000 gallons of water and oil, but this one only had 400 gallons of oil at this time, The fire burned out in about an hour.

Tank batteries serve as a holding facility and eventually send the oil through the pipeline after separating the water and oil.

Responders to the tank battery fire included Mid-County VFD, Tri-Community VFD, Maxwell VFD, Luling FD, TDEM Texas Railroad Commission, and Caldwell County Emergency Management. TCEQ and the Railroad Commission were notified.

Last week, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 18 acres off SH 142 near Maxwell were burned after what was believed to be sparks from a chain dragged by a truck ignited dry grass on the side of the road.

Responding agencies t the grass fire included Maxwell VFD, Martindale VFD, Mid-County VFD, Lockhart FD, Badger Company from Hutto, Lockhart PD, CCSO, and Caldwell County Emergency Management.