Wed, 12/03/2014 - 8:45am

BILL PEARSON, Staff Reporter

THIS SIMARD & SONS technician installs a new gas pump Monday at the Good ‘N You service station in Boothbay Harbor after a Nov. 25 fire destroyed the previous one. An electrical wire fell from a Townsend Avenue utility pole around 8:30 p.m. and landed on a parked snow plow fueling up at the station. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register

Clyde Burnham has an extra reason to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day. The Boothbay Harbor Public Works crew member escaped injury the previous night when a diesel pump ignited.

Burnham, an 11-year Boothbay Harbor Public Works crew member, was putting fuel into plow truck around 8:30 p.m. at the Good ‘N You Service Station on Townsend Avenue.

He had just placed the diesel nozzle into the tank when he heard “the arcing” of an electrical wire about to snap. Burnham was about a yard from the truck and saw the wire fall onto the truck’s plow. As Burnham moved away, he saw a big ball of fire ignite from the hose’s nozzle and into the diesel pump.

“I got away from there in a hurry. It was a little too close for comfort,” said Burnham. “I took a moment to check myself out to see that everything was all right and I’m thankful everything turned out fine.”

The Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay fire departments responded immediately to the blaze and sprayed foam into the pump. Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Nick Upham reported that the fire was extinguished in 10-15 minutes. He added the fire was contained to one pump and nobody was injured.

He speculated the live wire’s electricity flowed from the truck’s plow into the diesel pump.

“It’s a complete guess, but when the wire struck the plow, it electrified the gas pumps and caused the fire,” Upham said.

Good ‘N You owner Ron Babcock was at the station when the blaze ignited. He reported the only damage done was to the No. 8 pump. He is thankful that Burnham wasn’t touching the truck when the wire contacted the plow.

“It could’ve been bad news had he been in contact with the truck,” Babcock said. “I’m thankful that nobody was hurt and the only damage was done to the gas pump.”

Babcock isn’t sure when the damage pump will be replaced.

On Monday, Simard and Sons, a Lewiston certified petroleum tank company were installing a replacement pump. Babcock said all of his other pumps were operational.

Burnham said when it came to give thanks last Thursday he was especially “thankful” he had his life and escaped possible injury.