The fire burned 36 tanks storing crude oil and wastewater overnight and through Tuesday. It is being allowed to burn out in order to reduce leftover petroleum pollution, the company said.

WPX says flames were still showing at one-quarter of the tanks Tuesday night. Flames were reported as being up to 5 feet high.

A safety perimeter remains in place around the five-acre site, which the company said was still not safe to fully enter.

The Farmington Fire Department and Environmental Protection Agency are at the site monitoring the fire and air quality, in addition to WPX crews.

The company says it is providing lodging to around 10 families disposed by the fire.

No injuries or damaged homes have been reported in the explosion or subsequent fire.

San Juan County emergency teams were first dispatched out to an explosion at the WPX well, located near the intersection of County Road 7890 and Highway 55, around 10:45 p.m. Monday.

The company said the fire started around 10:15 p.m. Monday.

WPX confirmed around 1 a.m. Tuesday all of its workers and contractors had been accounted for, as well as a family that was forced to evacuate.

Around 50 people set up at an evacuation center at the Nageezi Chapter House, where the Red Cross was on-hand to provide assistance. Most people had left by 10 a.m. Tuesday.

WPX spokesman Kelly Swan said there was currently no drilling being done at the site, though it had been active as recently as a month ago.

Swan said there were six new oil wells at the site that had just started to produce.

“This is a pretty extraordinary event for something like this to occur,” Swan told KOB, extending his “sincerest apologies” to the families who suffered a “rude awakening” because of the explosion.

WPX says the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire is unknown at this time.

Blair Miller and Devin Neeley
Updated: 07/12/2016 10:42 PM
Created: 07/12/2016 12:52 AM