The Cause Of The Explosion That Shook Mandan At Gray Oil Revealed

I was the first to report on the explosion that was felt not only in Mandan, but all over the Capital Region. We had reports of listeners who lived south of Lincoln who even felt the earth shake. If you have ever been around a tannerite explosion before, that is what it reminded me of.

Taking You Back to That Day That Felt Like a Bomb Went Off

It all happened back on Saturday, January 10th, at about 8:40 am. I was at the radio station preparing for a remote appearance when a loud "bang" shook our building, and I mean LOUD!. The windows literally were vibrating. I really thought a semi-truck had driven into our building. Read more about what happened on that morning below.

(SEE ALSO: Large Explosion Just Shook Mandan)

This explosion was a little too close for comfort for all of us at Townsquare Media, as it happened at Gray Oil, which is just a few blocks away from us in Mandan.

Uncovering the Cause of the Explosion 

According to a press release from the Mandan Fire Department, based on the information obtained during the investigation, the incident that caused one of Gray Oil's fuel tanks to explode was accidental in nature. It occurred while hot work was being performed in the vicinity of one of the tanks within a nine-tank system. The event was isolated to a single tank.

Investigators also determined that work on the tank had been ongoing throughout the week leading up to the incident.

Damage in the Vicinity of the Explosion

As a result of the incident, six buildings sustained varying degrees of damage. During the event, the tank lid was displaced approximately 340 feet from its original location. Thankfully, nobody was seriously hurt.