Police Chief Commends Fire Department’s Response to Blaze at Valero Gas Pumps
CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion Borough Police Chief Peck recently praised the firemen at Clarion Fire & Hose Company No. 1 for their prompt response to the fire at Valero Gas Station in Downtown Clarion in August.
On Monday, August 21, 2023, a car burst into flames after colliding with pump #1 at the Valero Gas Station in Clarion.
In less than six minutes from when the emergency call was placed, Clarion Fire & Hose Company No. 1 was on the scene, and any further devastation was quickly avoided.
During the September 5th Clarion Borough Council meeting, Clarion Borough Police Chief Bill Peck took a moment to recognize the Clarion Fire Department’s rapid and brave response to the situation.
“Shout out to the fire department. Within minutes they had that fire out. I had great concerns about something really really bad exploding. They did a heck of a job,” Peck said.
Peck told exploreClarion.com that the vehicle pulled into the front of the store, Kaival Food Mart, and was left in gear upon parking. A passenger stayed in the car while the driver went inside the store.
The car then coasted backward, “hitting the gas pump, knocking it off its base which caused a spark and immediate fire,” Peck explained.
The passenger, who was still inside the vehicle upon impact with the pump, escaped the vehicle safely before the fiery rush.
(Pictured above: A recent photo of the Valero gas station on Main Street, Clarion, where the fire occurred.)
Chief Peck also commended store personnel for their quick thinking to hit the emergency shut-off.
“If they (store employees) would not have hit the shut-off, it likely would have been a bigger issue, or an explosion could have occurred.”
Like any fire, the threat of danger follows every fireman; however, the volatile nature of this fire occurring at a gas station elevates that sense.
“With something like that, something that could explode at any time, they (firemen) put their life on the line. It takes a lot of courage to run in and do that,” Peck added.
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