Narrative:

There are 5 chemical plants; 4 tank farms; and unknown number of gas/chemical pipelines within a 5 mi radius of airfield. A fire at the tank farm just off the north end of runway 13/31 occurred after a rain storm. There was no instruction from supervisor as to what to tell departing aircraft (on takeoff these aircraft would be no more than 1000 ft above this fire and on landing; around 500 ft above it). The supervisor seemed to have no problem flying aircraft over the top of this fire. After several calls to the airport police (crash fire rescue equipment) we (the cpc's) finally sent an airways facilities technician to the site to ask the fire chief in command; what was on fire; and if we needed to keep aircraft away from that area. We were told by the airways facilities technician that the fire chief wanted aircraft to not overfly that area for fear of the tank exploding. The next day we asked the atm for a contingency plan for just this thing and as of sep/sat/06 we still have no guidance as to what kind of operation to run; nor any agreements with any of these companies to notify us as to what is on fire and the risk of explosion. I feel the safety of these aircraft and passenger was compromised by the supervisor telling us to depart/land over a fire with no knowledge of whether or not an explosion was imminent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BTR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY'S LACK OF CONTINGENCY PLAN DURING HAZARDOUS FIRE NEAR ARPT THAT AFFECTED FLT RTES.

Narrative: THERE ARE 5 CHEMICAL PLANTS; 4 TANK FARMS; AND UNKNOWN NUMBER OF GAS/CHEMICAL PIPELINES WITHIN A 5 MI RADIUS OF AIRFIELD. A FIRE AT THE TANK FARM JUST OFF THE N END OF RWY 13/31 OCCURRED AFTER A RAIN STORM. THERE WAS NO INSTRUCTION FROM SUPVR AS TO WHAT TO TELL DEPARTING ACFT (ON TKOF THESE ACFT WOULD BE NO MORE THAN 1000 FT ABOVE THIS FIRE AND ON LNDG; AROUND 500 FT ABOVE IT). THE SUPVR SEEMED TO HAVE NO PROB FLYING ACFT OVER THE TOP OF THIS FIRE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO THE ARPT POLICE (CFR) WE (THE CPC'S) FINALLY SENT AN AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN TO THE SITE TO ASK THE FIRE CHIEF IN COMMAND; WHAT WAS ON FIRE; AND IF WE NEEDED TO KEEP ACFT AWAY FROM THAT AREA. WE WERE TOLD BY THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN THAT THE FIRE CHIEF WANTED ACFT TO NOT OVERFLY THAT AREA FOR FEAR OF THE TANK EXPLODING. THE NEXT DAY WE ASKED THE ATM FOR A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR JUST THIS THING AND AS OF SEP/SAT/06 WE STILL HAVE NO GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT KIND OF OP TO RUN; NOR ANY AGREEMENTS WITH ANY OF THESE COMPANIES TO NOTIFY US AS TO WHAT IS ON FIRE AND THE RISK OF EXPLOSION. I FEEL THE SAFETY OF THESE ACFT AND PAX WAS COMPROMISED BY THE SUPVR TELLING US TO DEPART/LAND OVER A FIRE WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHETHER OR NOT AN EXPLOSION WAS IMMINENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.