“Fortunately they were wearing full safety equipment with self-contained breathing apparatus,” said Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer. “That’s what protected them from being injured far more severely.” The volatile copper naphthenate also in the mix exploded, bending back the top of the metal tank several feet.  The explosion sent a shockwave through the area and a giant ball of fire into the air.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Monday for Northeastern Oregon and the Central Columbia River Gorge due to smoke from fires in Washington, Idaho and Canada.