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Title: Natural gas fuels blaze By Kristopher Hanson Staff writer May 8, 2000 LONG BEACH - A ruptured natural gas pipe set off a fire at a North Long Beach plant Saturday, sending flames up to 100 feet in the air, a Fire Department spokesman said.

When Long Beach and county firefighters responded to the Gardner Asphalt Company, 5903 Paramount Blvd., at 11:18 p.m. Saturday, they were confronted by a Rottweiler and a German shepherd, which tried to bite them, said Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Bob Caldon.

As fire burned, the firefighters waited behind the gates for a few minutes while animal control personnel removed the dogs and placed them in a secure area.

Once inside the gates, firefighters began battling the blaze with water and foam.

The fire was fueled primarily by a ruptured 2-inch gas line. After the line was shut down by closing a release valve, crews extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes, Caldon said.

No one was working at the plant at the time of the blaze. The cause of the gas rupture was under investigation.

Once the flames were out, firefighters worked to cool down two large oil-filled tanks that had been surrounded by flames and could have exploded, Caldon said.

http://www.ptconnect.com/archive/today/new08.asp

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 08, 2000