Firefighters Battle Blaze at Moline Propane Company; Evacuations Lifted

Firefighters from Moline, Illinois diligently battled to extinguish a fire that broke out Thursday night, June 8, at Gold Star FS, a propane company located at 2607 4th Avenue, assisted by mutual aid from five other Quad-City departments.

Homes in the 2500–2700 block of 4th Avenue were evacuated due to fears of explosions, with Moline Fire Chief Steve Regenwether stressing that the public’s safety was the main priority.

The precise number of evacuees remained unknown as of Thursday night. Numerous propane tanks of various sizes prompted Regenwether to say, “Given the number and variety of propane tanks present, we took precautions to ensure the safety of nearby residential structures by evacuating them.” However, the residents were given the all-clear to go home at 11:30 p.m.

Around 8:30 p.m., the fire was first discovered when thick black smoke came from Gold Star FS. The smoke reached the Interstate 74 bridge to the west and north of the Mississippi River.

Regenwether claimed that because of the danger posed by the propane tanks involved, the firefighting operation changed to a wholly defensive strategy. Four tower trucks were used to direct streams of water onto the building’s roof as firefighters continued to put out the fire with water.

When the drone from the Moline Police Department was used to locate hot spots, firefighters were able to target their water streams more precisely. The drone’s ability was emphasized by Regenwether, who said that it “provides an aerial view of the fire, allowing us to direct our resources precisely.”

Firefighters from Rock Island, East Moline, Bettendorf, Silvis, and Rock Island Arsenal assisted the Moline Fire Department. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries during the incident.

Investigations continue to determine the fire’s origin. Regenwether mentioned that the building is still under construction but emphasized that arson is extremely unlikely to be the cause.

The fire was contained, and the nearby residential areas were safeguarded thanks to the firefighting teams’ coordinated efforts and quick action. To take the necessary precautions to stop similar incidents in the future, further investigations will be conducted to ascertain the precise circumstances that led to the incident.