CORINTH, Miss — A massive gas fire at a North Mississippi natural gas facility prompted county-wide response after what was believed to be a lightning strike early Friday morning.
According to Alcorn County, Mississippi, Emergency Services Director Ricky Gibens, the fire at the Trans Canada Energy gas compressor in Corinth, Mississippi, erupted after what is presumed to be a lightning strike to a vertical gas pipe.
The strike released gas, which sparked and caught fire, Gibens said.
The Farmington Fire Department, Alcorn County Sheriff's Office and workers with Trans Canada Energy all responded to the blaze, immediately shutting off valves to the pipe which likely prevented an explosion, Gibens said. The fire burned for four hours until the pressure died down enough for firefighters to knock down the flames.
No one was injured in the blaze.
Gibens said this exact situation is something firefighters train for at the gas compressor facility, which lies along the 3,340 mile-long Columbia Gulf Transmission pipeline, connecting every major pipeline in the U.S. Gulf Coast and to additional Midwestern lines. Gibens also said the rain falling at the time likely prevented the spread of the fire to the surrounding area.
As of Saturday, Trans Canada Energy said the emergency situation at the plant has been lifted.
Trans Canada Energy released the following statement:
Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC (CGT) promptly activated its emergency response procedures to address a fire at its Corinth Compressor Station in Mississippi resulting from a suspected lightning strike during severe storms occurring early on April 28, 2023. No one was injured in the incident, and the fire has now been extinguished. We appreciate the support and prompt collaboration from local fire and emergency personnel.
To maintain the safety and reliability of the system, we have isolated the Corinth Compressor Station and have notified customers of a force majeure event. CGT is in the process of making operational adjustments to allow a portion of volume to resume safely flowing through the impacted segment of the system.
While we continue to assess the impacts, we expect them to be minimal and short in duration. We will continue to provide updates directly to impacted customers and stakeholders.
