Valley Center ? A tank area that exploded and burned last week, forcing widespread evacuations, had not been inspected by either the state fire marshal’s office or the Valley Center Fire Department.

State law doesn’t require the agencies to inspect the “tank farms,” even though they hold large concentrations of flammable and volatile liquids.

The fire and explosions at the Barton Solvents tank farm ignited about 660,000 pounds of chemicals. The fire prompted widespread evacuations in the town of 6,000 north of Wichita.

Barton Solvents president David Casten said the tank farm passed a structural integrity test in 2004 that ensured the tanks were thick enough. He also said the tank farm has been periodically inspected by the company’s insurer.

Last week’s fire was “just an unfortunate accident,” Casten said.

But Sedgwick County Fire Marshal Tim Millspaugh said, “These things should be inspected by somebody … just like any commercial building should be. Maybe it’s something the state should look into.”

A state fire marshal’s investigator, Dave Higday, said the initial explosion happened while solvent was being pumped from a truck into a 24-foot-tall tank. The preliminary investigation indicated that the truck was properly grounded. The company gave investigators records showing that the 43 storage tanks were certified as properly grounded six months ago.

Somehow on Tuesday, static electricity ignited vapors in the tank, Higday said, adding that he won’t know whether the tank was correctly grounded until he can thoroughly examine it.

Casten said the tank farm complied with safety codes in effect when it was built. The company plans to rebuild and will follow current codes, he said.

The Sedgwick County Fire Department doesn’t inspect the tank farm because it is in the Valley Center fire district, Millspaugh said.

Valley Center Fire Chief Lonnie Tormey said his department inspected the plant’s office and warehouse building several months ago and found safe conditions. Firefighters also tour the facility every year to familiarize themselves with the layout in case of a fire.

But the department has “no resources to check the tank farm,” Tormey said, adding that he doesn’t know of any requirement for the department to inspect the tank farm.