Underground propane tank in Ponte Vedra leaks, prompts fire crews to use 'flaring' technique

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. – St. Johns County Fire Rescue responded to a propane gas leak from an underground storage tank Friday night.

Residents in Ponte Vedra began to smell a strong odor of gas around 8 p.m. and called SJCFR.

Fire crews were able to isolate the leak to an underground storage tank, officials said.

Haz-Mat officials determined the only way to make the underground storage tank safe was to burn the gas off through a controlled process known as “flaring.”

The controlled burning of the tank allowed the Haz-Mat team to rid the tank of the gas so it could be removed and replaced safely by the gas company.

Firefighters manned multiple hose lines to keep the environment cool during the process because they had very limited space in the residential area.

No injuries were reported during the incident.