At 10:45 a.m. on January 11, 2020, Employee #1, employed by an oil and gas operation company, was overseeing a heater treater welding repair. Employee #2 emptied the remaining fluids in the heater treater. Employee #1 power washed the heater treater to remove any remaining flammable materials and ensure that it was safe for welding. After Employee #1 finished washing the heater treater he notified a coworker, the contract welder, that he could begin setting up to patch the hole in the heater treater. Before the welder could start work, an explosion occurred catching Employee #1 and Employee #2 in the blast. Employee #2 only received minor burns and was treated but did not require hospitalization. Employee #1 was hospitalized, where he later died from second-degree burns.
