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JACKSON, Wyoming — Crews were managing a fire at a propane company facility Thursday afternoon.
Around 12:50 p.m., Teton County dispatch received reports of an explosion or fire just south of Jackson on Gregory Lane, in the area where Amerigas is located, Charlotte Reynolds with Teton County said.
Marty Baird, a Utahn who was in the area for work and heading home, drove by the facility just a few seconds before the fire started.
"I just happened to look in my rearview mirror and I saw a big, black plume of smoke going up," he said.
Baird, who said he has some emergency training as a volunteer police officer, drove back by the scene and said he heard several explosions over about 2 minutes. He started directing traffic away from the scene, clearing the area for emergency vehicles, and helping people leave the nearby Smith's grocery store.
"I guess instinct just kicked in to go help wherever I could and to offer any assistance until the trained professionals could arrive on the scene," he said. "I moved toward the front of the Smith's to help in that area. The parking lot was jammed with cars and people. All of the sudden you could hear this big gush of gas come out, and all of a sudden this big flame that was probably at least 40 feet tall was just like a giant blowtorch going off. And that was pretty scary."
Multiple crews responded to the incident and were working to get the fireball under control. The fire was “reduced significantly” within 15 or so minutes, Reynolds said.
Officials evacuated a one-block radius around the location, including a grocery store and fitness facility, according to NBC affiliate KPVI. Nearby residents and businesses, as well as several schools were asked to shelter in place, remaining indoors until they have to evacuate or the threat ends, Reynolds said.
No roads were closed, though people were asked to stay off the roads in that area, including the main road that heads south out of Jackson.
Officials had not yet determined the cause of the blaze.
Contributing: Mary Ellen Geist and Cleon Wall
