Cameron Louisiana town evacuated for LNG tank fire

Apr 05, 2023

A liquified natural gas tank burns in the southwest Louisiana town of Cameron on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Residents were ordered to evacuate.

LAKE CHARLES -- Residents were ordered to evacuate the tiny southwest Louisiana town of Cameron after a liquified natural gas tank ruptured and caught fire Saturday afternoon.

The tank fueled a generator that powered about 1,000 households in and around Cameron, a town of 219 residents in Cameron Parish.

"The air conditioning made a weird noise, and then the power went out," said resident Travis Dardar, who evacuated north to Lake Charles and was waiting for permission to return.

Power customers were likely to remain without electricity for as long as 48 hours, according to Jefferson Davis Electric Co-op, which operates the station.

"The gas in the tank has to burn out, and we don't know how much gas is in there," utility general manager Michael Heinen said. "We’re trying to find out as much as we can, as fast as we can. It's just an unknown at this point."

Evacuations were ordered within a one-mile radius of the power station in central Cameron. There were no reported injuries, Heinen said.

Power along the coast of Cameron Parish has been supplied by generators since Hurricane Laura destroyed major transmission lines and substations in August 2020. The Cameron substation is the largest of eight generator sites operated by Jefferson Davis Electric Co-op along the coast.

Email Alena Maschke at [email protected].