The fire broke out at the Chevron station on state Route 2 in Wellsburg around 10:30 a.m.

Crews said a gas station employee was working on a car in a garage when he dropped the car's gas tank onto a light, sparking the fire.

The worker, Kenny Hoit, suffered burns to his hands and was transported to a hospital. He was treated and released, officials said.

Nearby St. John's Catholic School was evacuated and students were taken to the Wellsburg Fire Hall where their parents picked them up.

Smoke could be seen for miles when the fire first broke out, and the 1400 block of state Route 2 was closed for some time.

"It was totally engulfed," said assistant fire Chief Stanley Kin.

Firefighters later said they were counting their blessings because the situation could have turned out much worse. The gas station has an automatic shut-off system for the gas tanks, but any fire at a gas station raises the potential for danger.

Officials evacuated St. John's school and no children were injured. Neighbors said the decision to move students was a good one.

"It's a safe thing for the kids to get out of there," said Terry Levers, who lives nearby.

Kin agreed and said he doesn't think the station would have exploded because of the safety features in place.

He said while firefighters worked furiously to get the flames out, crews cut the power to the underground gasoline pumps.

"The power company happened to just be on scene so they disconnected the power," Kins said. "It could have been a lot worse. …The pumps were secure. When the power goes off, it shuts the pump off."

The gas station was closed as of Monday afternoon. Stay with NEWS9 and WTOV9.com for continuing coverage.

Previous Stories: March 30, 2009: Man Injured In Brooke County Gas Station Blaze