RICHMOND, Maine — Officials are investigating an underground fuel tank explosion that happened Monday morning at the Exit 43 Quik Stop in Richmond, according to a news release from Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
Officials determined a passenger car had driven over the underground fuel tank shortly before the explosion occurred around 10:45 a.m., Moss said.
No injuries were reported, and there is no damage to the business or vehicles, according to officials.
Main Street in Richmond was closed between Interstate 295 and White Road for a period of time Monday morning. That stretch of road has since reopened.
Investigators with the Office of the State Fire Marshal were called to the scene, along with service technicians and officials from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
"[Maine] DEP did not find explosive conditions at the facility when conducting air monitoring," David Madore, deputy commissioner for MDEP, said in an email to NEWS CENTER Maine. "However, there is evidence of an ongoing vapor discharge that is under investigation. The source of the vapors [has] not yet been identified. Additional testing, including resolution of the discharge, is needed before the facility can be put back into service."
The incident remains under investigation, Moss said.
There are several businesses near the gas station, including Dunkin', Subway, and a marijuana dispensary called Friend Jen and Co.
Members of the Litchfield Fire Department, Woolwich Fire Department, Bowdoinham Fire Department, Richmond Police Department, Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, and Maine State Police also responded to the scene.