Sam's World and Friends

Victims of deadly explosion identified

Audrey Stanton
Register-Herald Reporter

As investigators continued sifting through the debris left in the wake of Tuesday morning’s accidental explosion at the Little General Store in Ghent, a community continued mourning the deaths of two men working on propane tanks, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, and a man who wore the hats of both a Raleigh County building code inspector and volunteer firefighter.

State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis identified the deceased as:

- Frederick Allen Burroughs, 51, of Cool Ridge, a county building code inspector and volunteer firefighter.

- Jeffrey Lee Treadway, 21, of Beckley, a propane tank worker.

- Craig Lawrence Dorsey, 24, of MacArthur, a volunteer firefighter and EMT.

- Glenn Ray Bennett, 44, of Beckley, a propane tank worker.

Five people injured in the blast remained in critical condition, one at Charleston Area Medical Center and four at Cabell-Huntington Hospital.

Lewis identified them as:

- Donnie Caldwell, 71, of Cool Ridge, a volunteer firefighter.

- Joyce Walker, 63, of Odd, an employee of Godfather’s Pizza, which was inside the store.

- Leta Farley, 41, of Flat Top, also an employee of Godfather’s Pizza.

- Patricia Mullens, 37, of Flat Top, an employee of Little General.

- Donna Meadows, 45, of Cool Ridge, store manager.

Officials at a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department, acting on what they said were four previous verifications from Cabell-Huntington Hospital, announced to members of the media that one of the injured had died. But upon receiving conflicting information from a Register-Herald reporter who had spoken with a representative at the hospital, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Steve Tanner contacted a chief nursing supervisor who told him the victim was, in fact, still alive. The erroneous information, which had already been distributed by The Associated Press, was retracted.

Tuesday’s 10:55 a.m. explosion followed a reported propane gas leak, to which volunteer firefighters and an EMT had responded only 12 minutes earlier.

Leaking propane from an outdoor tank had apparently drifted inside, where it accumulated until it reached an ignition source. Once it did, a blast leveled the store, flipped vehicles parked in the parking lot, damaged nearby homes and shattered windows at Ghent Elementary School.

Once the leak began irritating eyes, customers were asked to leave, Lewis said Wednesday.

“The injured were inside the store,” he said.

Lewis reported that with help from West Virginia Turnpike crews, investigators on Wednesday were successful in rolling two 500-pound tanks to reach their valves. One of tanks was empty; the other was nearly one-third full. It was leaking vapors, but air tests indicated investigators were working in a safe atmosphere, Lewis said.

As firefighters used leaf-blowers to clear snow, investigators from the state fire marshal’s office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spent the day “sweeping the entire area,” Lewis said. They had accounted for occupants of every vehicle on the parking lot.

“At this time, we have no reports anyone else is missing,” he said.

Knowing that, investigators were able to focus their search on possible ignition sources. They used an endloader to remove — “inch by inch” — debris and anything from the scene that was not a possible ignition source, Lewis said. Where possible ignition sources existed, investigators left marks for digital forensic mapping, done by State Police.

Investigation also revealed the tanks had been used for powering the store’s pizza ovens, Lewis said. There was no evidence to indicate they had been used for heating the store.

Also, Lewis added, maintenance work had been performed on one or both of the tanks “a couple days prior” to the explosion.

A Thompson Gas and Electric truck was abandoned on the scene. Thompson Gas, which owned the tanks, is distributed and maintained locally by Appalachian Heating of Bradley.

Lewis also addressed questions regarding the inspection of propane tanks. He said the tanks are supposed to be inspected when they are installed, yet “there are thousands that go in unbeknownst to us,” he said.

Tanks are not regularly inspected, but they should be, Lewis said.

Even if regular inspections were a requirement, the state lacks the manpower to do so, he added. Twelve inspectors cover the entire state.

Investigators planned to leave the scene at dark and return this morning, but Tanner noted that law enforcement would maintain the integrity of the scene day and night. Trespassers risk arrest.

In his 30 years in fire service, Lewis said he had never witnessed such cooperation between fire service, law enforcement, all involved agencies and the media. He thanked everyone on the scene and those who have helped in other ways, including experts from propane tank companies and fire investigators who have offered their assistance.

He also expressed gratitude for visits from Raleigh County commissioners, Congressman Nick Rahall’s office and the case’s newest team — the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Investigative Team, which was deployed to Ghent Wednesday afternoon at Rahall’s request.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. It’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigators look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems, regulations and industry standards.

The board does not issue citations or fines, but it does make safety recommendations to plant industry organizations, labor groups and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA, explained Bill Wark, one of CSB’s five board members.

Wark described the Ghent scene as “total destruction.”

“It looks like a category five hurricane hit it,” he said.

Lewis concluded his remarks with a reminder to the public to exercise extreme caution at all gas stations by following posted rules that include turning off cell phones, not smoking and turning off engines.

“If you don’t, you are flirting with disaster,” he said. “The general public needs to get just a little bit smarter.”

Twenty-eight West Virginians have died in 12 fires across the state since December.

He also noted that of the 447 fire departments in West Virginia, only 16 are paid or part-paid. The rest are volunteer. That’s 87 percent of the state’s firefighters.

“How do you ask someone to risk his life without pay?” someone from the media asked.

“You don’t ask them. They do it because it’s in their heart,” said Lewis, a former Beaver volunteer firefighter. “They do it for the community. This is something that is bred down deep in the soul.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

— E-mail:

bnaudrey@register-herald.com

More Photos on link below. By Don's Cell Phone

Quote: Here are some pictures from the blast taken from my phone. I often wonder why I have done what I do for so many years. Knowing not what lies ahead for us, we risk our lives day in and day out so others may live. May God watch over us as we risk it all to save you. I lost two friends today, and another is in critical condition.

Pray for them and their families.

Ron "Porker" Lefler

May they rest in peace……

http://groups.msn.com/SamsWorldandFriends/explosionghentwv.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1429

Our hearts and prayers go out to all.