Firemen battle a oil tank fire during training drill. Photo by Steve Murphy, SFPD.

Flames shot high above the Omar Squibb Training Center of the Salem Fire Protection District Wednesday night. 

The oil tank fires had been set to train about 70 firefighters from throughout the region on how to handle a fire involving an oil well.  Salem Fire Chief Roger Mann says the fires provide some special challenges. "Oil is different," he says. "Hydrocarbons are a lot stronger and it gets a lot hotter a lot quicker," he says. "With all the oilfields around we're somewhat used to it, but we're getting younger firefighters and we need to get them up to speed."

In addition to the actual fires, the firemen in attendance received an hour long classroom presentation.  The training is paid for by the Illinois Petroleum Resource Council.  
 

Firemen watch flames as they burn around oil tank in Wednesday night drill. Photo by Steve Murphy, SFPD.