November 13, 2025
Weatherford, OK – Shelter in place orders were lifted Thursday morning in Weatherford after an overnight anhydrous ammonia leak from a tanker truck sent a toxic cloud across parts of the city, forcing evacuations of homes, nursing facilities and businesses.
At a press conference, Weatherford Police Chief Angelo Orefice said air quality readings had returned to safe levels in the evacuated neighborhoods.
“The levels of the oxygen in the chemical have went down far enough back to normal levels that we are going to open up the area now,” Orefice said. “So the shelter in place has been lifted. People can go back to their residence. They do not have to evacuate anymore.”
Residents were evacuated late Wednesday night after an apparent anhydrous ammonia release from a tanker parked behind the Holiday Inn near Main and Cypress. The leak began around 10 p.m., according to emergency officials, and created a dense, low hanging cloud that settled over nearby neighborhoods and commercial areas as winds stayed calm.
Authorities said Weatherford Regional Hospital saw between 30 and 36 patients with exposure or respiratory symptoms. Eleven patients were transported by ambulance to other facilities, and four in critical condition were flown to Oklahoma City hospitals.
“There were some serious injuries and those were medi flighted to Oklahoma City,” Orefice said. “Our hospital couldn’t handle those patients.” No fatalities had been reported as of Thursday morning. First responders were exposed to the gas but were evaluated on scene and are being monitored.
Hospitals in Clinton and Elk City were placed on alert to receive additional patients suffering from inhalation injuries.
Anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas with a sharp, pungent odor, commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer. In high concentrations, it can severely burn the respiratory tract and skin and can be fatal if inhaled.
Cause of release under investigation
Officials said there is no indication the tanker was involved in a traffic collision. The truck driver had reportedly parked behind the Holiday Inn for the night.
“Right now, best what we can determine is that it was either a mechanical failure on a valve or it was a faulty seal,” Orefice said. Investigators have not yet been able to closely inspect the truck because oxygen levels in the immediate area remained unsafe for part of the morning.
Crews used drones to capture overhead images during the night, and specialized hazmat and environmental teams are expected to handle remaining product and contaminated runoff. The cleanup process is expected to take several days.
“We’ve pretty much got a lot of this stuff diluted right now,” Orefice said. “We’re working with the EPA and getting the regulations on actually how to dispose of everything.”
Military hazmat specialists deployed
Orefice said a specialized military unit that handles hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction incidents is assisting local crews with air quality monitoring and technical guidance.
Emergency response agencies from across western Oklahoma answered the call, including fire departments from Weatherford, Burns Flat, Clinton, Hydro, Elk City and other volunteer departments. Law enforcement support included the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, game wardens, Custer and Blaine County Sheriff’s Offices, Weatherford police and Southwestern Oklahoma State University campus police.
“We all train together out here,” Orefice said. “Everybody knows everybody. We didn’t have any problems with communications or who was in charge. We just followed our incident command.”
Evacuations and school closures
First responders went door to door in neighborhoods east of downtown as the gas moved along the ground, directing residents to leave immediately or to shelter inside until transportation could be arranged.
Residents from nursing homes and assisted living centers inside the affected zone were taken by bus and ambulance to the Pioneer Event Center on the SWOSU campus, which served as a temporary shelter. Some residents were later moved again to other facilities in the region.
By Thursday morning, agencies were preparing to move those residents back.
“Right now, this is the first opportunity,” Orefice said. “We’re releasing everything so everybody can start moving their way to go back where they need to be.”
Classes were canceled Thursday for Weatherford Public Schools, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Western Technology Center’s Weatherford campus and Western Oklahoma Christian School’s Weatherford campus. Orefice said he believed sports and other extracurricular activities might resume later in the day, but final decisions would be left to school administrators.
Advice for residents going home
As residents return to homes within the former evacuation and shelter in place zone, Orefice urged people to check on neighbors and relatives and to watch for signs of breathing difficulty.
“If they’re starting to have any breathing problems, please call 911 or go to the emergency room,” he said.
Although the chief stressed he is not a chemical expert, he said anhydrous ammonia dissipates in the air and suggested simple precautions.
“When they get home, I suggest that they open up the windows and just try to ventilate things,” he said. Most sealed or refrigerated food should be safe, he added, but residents should use common sense. “If you’ve had a fruit bowl on the table, probably don’t eat the fruit. If you don’t feel comfortable, throw it away and get some new stuff.”
For people who were exposed outdoors or during evacuations, Orefice recommended basic decontamination.
“They should take a good shower and really scrub themselves from top to bottom,” he said. He also advised leaving clothes outside to air out before washing.
Business owners in the affected area are being asked to report to a secondary incident command post set up at the Taco Bell near the scene. Firefighters and hazmat teams will then enter businesses to conduct air quality tests before reopening to customers.
Cleanup ongoing, streets restricted
Although general shelter in place orders were lifted, Orefice asked the public to stay away from the Main Street and Cypress area while clean up continues.
“That’s where our incident command post is going to be and that’s where we’re going to start doing the cleanup and recovery part of everything,” he said.
Specialized contractors are expected to transfer any remaining ammonia from the damaged tanker and to address contaminated soil and water in the area. Environmental specialists on scene will direct how neutralization and disposal are handled under state and federal regulations.
Officials said additional updates would be provided as the investigation moves forward and cleanup progresses.
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