Members of the St. Ignace Fire Department, forming a spray wall, charge toward the flaming 300-gallon propane tank during a training session at Little Bear East Conference Center and Ice Arena Thursday, August 24. Flames from a blazing 300-gallon propane tank shot above the roof of the Little Bear East Conference Center and Ice Arena in St. Ignace Thursday evening, August 24, alarming some residents and prompting several to call 9-1-1. The blaze, however, was part of a training session for area firefighters learning to control propane fires. The "live burn" was held in the Little Bear East parking lot.

Sixty firefighters from 14 Eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan fire departments participated in the state-certified propane emergency response training session, which was conducted by Michigan Propane Gas Association of Lansing. The association had held a training session in Manistique the day before.

The session included a classroom course as well as a hands-on outside training course. The classroom course covered properties and principles of propane.

The dramatic live burn gave firefighters a chance to experience a propane fire, which few have seen, said St. Ignace Fire Chief John "Bucky" Robinson.

"We don't have very many propane tanks this size in the area because we use natural gas, so we don't see very many propane fires," said Mr. Robinson. The training session taught firefighters to control such a violent fire.

The fire was operated by a control panel connected to the propane tank.

Firefighters, working in teams of six men operating two hoses, created a wall of water, sprayed from each side of the fiery tank, as the men moved slowly toward the tank. Once the spray wall reached the tank, one firefighter had to reach in and turn the valve on the tank to cut off the leaking propane.

"The firefighters learn a lot from this," said Brian Lincoln, the association's lead instructor. "They learn how the fire reacts. We had some firefighters dancing at the Manistique session because as they approached the tank, the fire slipped underneath them and started burning their feet. It can be real tricky."

The Michigan Propane Gas Association holds the training session throughout the state annually, however, this was the first time many of this area's fire departments have participated in it, said Mr. Robinson.

Participating fire departments included St. Ignace, Clark Township, Newton Township, Hendricks Township, Brevort Township, Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Kinross, Rudyard, Garfield Township, Tuscarora Township, Indian River, Topinabee, and Carp Lake.