Bellmore propane leak: What to know about keeping tanks safe at home

A leaking propane tank at a Bellmore nursery led to an order for residents nearby to shelter in place for several hours before they were eventually given the all clear to resume normal activities.

Monday afternoon and evening, Bellmore firefighters and the Nassau County fire marshal's hazardous materials team performed a controlled burn, allowing bright orange flames from ignited propane to leap skyward from a hose to relieve pressure on the damaged tank. The controlled burn, known as "flaring," helped ensure the leaking propane cylinder, which can hold up to 1,150 gallons, would not explode or leave lingering flammable gas, Capt. Nicholas Corrado, the deputy county fire coordinator, told Newsday.

Here are answers to questions about the leak, the methods used to bring it under control and what consumers should know about smaller propane tanks for home use and what to do if one leaks.

How did first responders get a handle on the propane leak?

The Bellmore Fire Department responded Monday afternoon to Island Greenery Nursery after a call reporting a leaking valve on a cylinder, which was loaded with propane, Newsday previously reported. The Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office called for residents close by to shelter in place and the work began to stop the leak. The controlled burn continued for about 90 minutes before Paraco Gas, which services the tank, arrived to transfer the remaining 935 gallons of propane from the cylinder onto a tanker truck, Nassau County Fire Marshal Hazmat Capt. Michael Mennella, who was at the scene, told Newsday on Tuesday. That operation was complete about 10 p.m.

A shelter-in-place order for two blocks in each direction of the site was lifted about 11 p.m. Monday. 

The nursery was ordered to "repair the tank and get it inspected by the fire marshal before they're allowed to put it back in service," Mennella said.

What is a propane refill station?

Propane refill stations are locations licensed to host large propane cylinders that can fill residents' personal or small commercial propane tanks, such as 20-pound canisters for barbecues or 33-pound vessels that power forklifts and RVs, Corrado said in a Tuesday phone interview.

Island Greenery Nursery is one of 25 propane refill stations throughout Nassau County, Corrado said. Several of these stations are located at nurseries, but other sites include select The Home Depot and BJ's Wholesale locations. There are nearly three times as many propane exchange sites, where residents drop-off their depleted tanks and purchase new, full canisters, throughout the county.

The number of refill and exchange sites in Suffolk County was not immediately available.

Are they regulated?

Every refill station in Nassau must obtain a license through the fire marshal's office and renew it annually, Corrado said. Every employee who will operate the cylinders must also be certified by the fire marshal, a process which includes both a written and practical exam.

Each of these sites and its employees are also subject to annual inspections, generally around the start of the summer barbecue season, ensuring the workers check tanks for rust and leaks, weigh them and follow other protocols.

"If there’s things that are egregiously wrong, they’ll get orders or we might give them appearance tickets," Corrado said. "We might suspend licenses, we can suspend certificates of fitness."

In Suffolk County, each township similarly licenses and regulates propane refill stations, according to Chief County Fire Marshal Scott Davonski.

"At the end of the day, they’re relatively safe," Davonski said. "You don’t hear of this happening too often."

Why did the leak happen in Bellmore?

The tank in Bellmore leaked because it was "over-pressurized," but "it's too soon to say" whether it was overfilled during its most recent delivery, Corrado said. As per New York State Fire Code, tanks should only be filled to 80% capacity to allow space for propane to expand when temperatures rise. Even after a leak and a controlled burn, the amount of propane left in the Island Greenery cylinder still exceeded that threshold.

Several factors, including the 16-degree rise in temperature into the 70s on Long Island between midnight and 6 p.m. on Monday, could have caused the excessive pressure, officials said.

"It rained, so nobody bought propane," Mennella, who led the hazmat team at Monday's scene, said. "They got a delivery a day or two before and it was in the 50s. Then yesterday afternoon it got significantly warmer out. So the lack of selling of propane, the filling during the cold, the warming up of that liquid inside triggered an overpressurization of the tank."

What should I do if my propane tank leaks?

Call the fire department immediately.

If a small barbecue tank is leaking, it's possible a fire official could reseat the valve and restore the tank in working order. They would be operating with both a "nonsparking screwdriver" and the know-how for such a task, Corrado said. 

"We never want to tell anybody to take any tool ever to a propane cylinder," he added. "If they smell propane coming from the cylinder, they should call the fire department. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be any type of catastrophe, but it’s the safest thing to do, because if it is a problem, we would do the same thing we did yesterday but on a smaller scale."