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Massive Explosion in Lamesa, Texas - Caught on Video

by Mary Richard | May 16, 2009 at 05:47 pm

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The raw video of a massive exlosion in Lamesa, Texas is making the rounds this weekend.

On Thursday night, a bolt of lightning hit and ignited an oil tank. Firefighters were fighting the blaze for about two hours when a tank exploded "like a grenade going off."

Luckily, only one firefighter suffered minor injuries. "All I can say is the hand of God was on us," says Fire Service Mgr. for the city of Lamesa - Kendall Amos.

Severe weather put NewsChannel 11's Storm Chaser David Drummond just 200 yards from the explosion allowing him to capture the dramatic video. "You've heard my voice next to tornadoes, this time you can hear in my voice I was scared to death," says Drummond.

Lamesa Fire Service Mgr. Kendall Amos says the explosion of a 25-foot-tall tank "looked like a space shuttle taking off." He said two small fires continued burning Friday.

Amos blamed the fire, reported Thursday night, on a lightning strike on the tank battery 1 1/2 miles south of Lamesa, a town of about 9,500. Amos says the tank that blew up "launched like a rocket, made a huge fireball."

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

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JeffHuang

at 18:14 on May 16th, 2009

Wow a lightning bolt ignited the fire? Crazy.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 19:47 on May 16th, 2009

good catch. Glad I wasn.t that close:)

nukegingrich

at 20:06 on May 16th, 2009

David Drummond says he "was scared to death." while filming the explosion. I believe it. That is incredible footage, almost like watching special effects in a movie.