Five injured in explosion at M&N Mesa yard

by Janet Montgomery

At about 11 a.m. on Oct. 3, Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Hanson was called out of the Sublette County Commissioners’ meeting on a report of an explosion.

A press release from the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office came out a few hours later relaying that the sheriff’s office had received numerous calls regarding an explosion on the Mesa around 11 a.m.

SCSO deputies along with ambulances from Pinedale and Big Piney; fire departments from Pinedale, Big Piney and Daniel; and Emergency Management responded.

First responders on the scene found the explosion and resulting fire that had occurred at the M&N Equipment yard.

A 400-barrel tank that was being welded on had apparently exploded and caught fire due to a flammable liquid held in the tank, according to the release. Sheriff Bardy Bardin said Wednesday that his best guess was that they were trying to patch holes in the tank.

“Anything that was within a 50-foot radius caught on fire,” Bardin said.

Five people were injured in the fire. One was flown to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Two were taken to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson by ambulance, and two were treated and released at the local medical clinics.

Undersheriff Jim Whinnery said Tuesday that while he did not have a lot of details on the incident, several vehicles had also caught fire.

The release indicated one semi-truck, a welding truck, a private car, a fork lift, and a tank were all destroyed in the fire.