WAYLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A fire sparked at oil wells south of Wayland Monday, firefighters say.
Crews were called to 929 132nd Ave, located near 10th Street and 132nd Avenue in Wayland Township, around 3:15 p.m.
A large plume of black smoke could be seen from miles away. It was visible on the News 8 Gun Lake camera about 8 miles away.
Crude oil in a tank had caught fire, Frank Post, the emergency manger for Allegan County, said. The tank was in a containment area made out of clay, so the flames did not get past that area.
A large plume of smoke rises from a fire near Wayland on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy Josh Cline) 
A large plume of smoke rises from a fire near Wayland on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy Kyle Piers) 
Smoke rises from a fire south of Wayland on March 27, 2023. 
A large plume of smoke rises from a fire near Wayland on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy Kyle Piers) 
A large plume of smoke rises from a fire near Wayland on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy Cricket Wendt) 
A large plume of smoke rises from a fire near Wayland on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy Cricket Wendt)
The oil wells were shut down before the firefighters arrived on scene.
Firefighters used a mixture of water and foam to get the fire out. There are no fire hydrants there, so firefighters brought in water using tankers. The Grand Rapids Fire Department hazmat team assisted by bringing the quantity of foam needed to put the fire out, Post said.
No one was hurt. Post said it is believed no one was around when the fire started, but an EMS crew arrived on scene as a precaution.
Post said because the fire kept within the containment area, officials do not currently have any safety or environmental concerns for neighbors nearby.
“It looked pretty ugly, I mean there was a big, black plume of smoke, but again it was all really confined in that containment area,” Post said.
It is not yet known what started the fire.
A business in the area, Michigan Aluminum Corp., told News 8 over the phone that the fire was happening quite a way behind its building but said it was not affected.
Traffic was redirected along S. Main Street and 133rd Avenue.
Several agencies helped the Wayland Fire Department, including Dorr Township, Leighton Township, Hopkins Township, Martin and Gun Plain Township fire departments and the Department of Natural Resources. GRFD told News 8 it sent a hazmat team with three firefighters and a hazmat truck.
— News 8’s Amanda Porter contributed to this report.
