Oil ignites during tank excavation

CARIBOU — Fuel oil that was being removed from an underground tank at Caribou High School Thursday afternoon apparently overheated and exploded, causing about 200 gallons to spray over two vehicles and the school’s agricultural shop building.

Officials said there were no injuries in the incident.

The tank, which contained bunker C oil, had been partly excavated from the ground. Workers were heating the fuel to facilitate its removal, said School Superintendent Irvin Belanger.

The 8,000-gallon tank had about 1,000 gallons left in when it ignited and sprayed out through the fill pipe, said Caribou Fire Chief Gardner Sperry.

The eruption resulted in a fire on a truck body near the site. Fuel also sprayed onto another vehicle and onto the building. A few portable pumps were damaged by the fire, according to Sperry.

Sperry said the Fire Department responded to the fire with two trucks.