Medford ONEOK Natural Gas Plant Fire Displaces Residents

Grant County Sheriff Scott Sterling says about 1,000 people were evacuated this weekend in Medford after an incident at the ONEOK natural gas plant on Saturday.  

There were no injuries among workers or the community. 

Everyone within a two-mile radius was evacuated Saturday night. After air monitoring readings on Sunday came back safe in Medford, the evacuation was limited to a one-mile radius around the plant. 

Sheriff Sterling says the town has a decades old relationship with the ONEOK plant, and many community members work there.  

The plant even has its own old wives’ tales.  

“All the stories you heard growing up, that if the ONEOK plant ever blew up it would take the whole town with it,” said Sterling.  

It’s less than two miles from Medford.  

Kelsey Flateerich is a mom who drives down Highway 81 past the plant often.  

“We go by it quite often, we go to Enid all the time for groceries, so I always pay attention, that’s always been one of my worst fears, of that blowing up. And it just happened.”  

She and Levi Shobe had several kids in the car when they said the plant blew up as they drove by.  

“Yeah, coming back from Enid, we went shopping at Walmart, and it just blew up. Before it blew up, it was really dusty, it was really weird looking,” Shobe said.  

ONEOK communications manager Brad Borror said they are now assessing damage at the plant.  

“Saturday, we did have an incident at our natural gas and liquids facility that resulted in a large fire,” he said.  

200 rooms were reserved in nearby towns for the residents of Medford.  

“We were put in the Hampton Inn, it was a little mini vacation, not ideal because we have so many toddlers, but we weren’t hurting. They took really good care of us.”  

ONEOK hired an expert to conduct air quality tests around Medford on Sunday.  

“They’ve set up monitors all throughout the town,” he said.  

Borrer said readings are at safe levels at locations in Medford.  

ONEOK also headed up the incident management response with assistance from local law enforcement. 

“They typically look to us, as the operators of the facility, knowing the chemicals and things that are included inside there, and how they react in these instances,” Borror said.  

A few hot spots continue to burn, but the plant is now considered secure.  

ONEOK is still trying to figure out what caused the incident and the fire.