By Olivia Drake, HVFC
At 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 18, 2021 Haddam Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched to a residence on Embassy Drive in Higganum for a reported leaking propane tank. The homeowners noticed the smell of propane in the air shortly after the fuel was delivered.
After determining there was indeed a leak at the bottom of the tank, HVFC called for Guilford Fire Department’s Hazmat Team, which came equipped with a flare stack and other equipment.
A flare stack—referred to Guilford firefighters as “the red Dragon”—is used to burn vapor and pressurized liquid from the propane tank. This eliminates gas spilling onto the ground and harming the environment.
Flaring the entire tank took about an hour, according to Fire Chief Sam Baber.
Photos by Olivia Drake, HVFC.
