Matlock, Iowa — A few tense moments were experienced Sunday afternoon in Matlock, according to Fire Chief Bruce Stegemann.
A severe storm blew through the area and knocked down a tree, which would have been bad enough, but it happened to strike a propane tank.
Stegemann says about half of the tree hit the tank, with other parts of it striking and damaging a fence and a pool. He says the part that struck the propane tank hit the pop-off valve and cracked the threads, causing a propane leak. That’s when the fire department was called. The owner of the tank, the Cooperative Energy Company of Boyden was called after firefighters got there.
According to Stegemann, the tree limb was cut to get it off the tank, and employees of the coop repaired the tank the next morning. Firefighters were on the scene for a half-hour or so.
Stegemann tells us when the tree fell, it took a side of the pool out. He says limbs were down in other areas of town, and some trees were even uprooted in the storm.
