MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AP) -- A 4,500-pound propane tank exploded at Naval Station Newport on Thursday morning, causing a large fire at the firefighting training facility there.
The tank, one of two near the building, exploded with a loud boom shortly after 7 a.m., said David Sanders, a spokesman for the Naval station. The fire, which could be seen around the area, was extinguished around 8:30 a.m.
There were no injuries, and the cause was being investigated by the Navy, Sanders said.
''The initial investigation has ruled out vandalism or any kind of terrorism,'' he said.
The tanks were surrounded by a chain link fence on top of a large berm, and the building was surrounded by a fence, Sanders said.
The propane tanks were used to fuel fires at the training facility, where sailors and Navy crews practice fighting fires. There was no training going on at the time of the explosion, and the area is largely unpopulated, Sanders said.
Navy firefighters were assisted by firefighters from Middletown and Portsmouth in fighting the blaze.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press
