Propane Shoots Into the Air After Tank Valve Severs

The Woodbury and Southbury Fire Departments responded to a propane tank leak between a father and son's property near the town line on Curtis Meadow Road in Woodbury on Sunday, Sept. 2.

The son lives in Woodbury, at 76 Curtis Meadow Rd., and his father lives on Hillcrest Drive in Southbury. The two are fortunate enough to have a meadow between their two properties and get back-and-forth via a utility vehicle referred to as a Kubota, Fire Chief Janet Morgan said.

"The dad and the son were bringing things back and forth to the son's house," she said. "The dad dropped off the stuff, turned around, ran over an underground propane tank lid and sheered the valve off."

Morgan said no explosion or fire occurred.

"Propane started spewing and the dad was smart — he shut the Kubota off," she said, then called 911.

Upon arrival by fire personnel, Morgan said a fog pattern was established that disperses the propane so it does not pool. The Southbury Fire Department was called in to assist.

A fog pattern entails spraying water in a wider area. [See the YouTube video attached to this article as an example.]

"We were there for 90 minutes to two hours before Hocon got there and plugged the leak," said Morgan. "We didn't leave until 10 p.m., when the leak was plugged."