HOLLIDAYSBURG - A Hollidaysburg-area man is free on $5,000 unsecured bail after borough police said he tried to blow up an Allegheny Street gas station's storage tanks.

Michael Thomas Henry, 28, of Box 130, Hollidaysburg RR 1, allegedly grabbed a handful of dried leaves, lit them on fire, and tossed them into the opening of one of Patel Sunoco's three 13,000-gallon underground storage tanks.

Police said they found burnt leaves floating on top of a skim of water on top of the gasoline in the tank and that a large explosion would have devastated the neighborhood.

Nick Patel, the gas station owner, said it's unusual that water infiltrates the tank, and the business was closed at the time of the incident, at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. He said the tank had about 5,000 gallons of gasoline with enough fumes to cause a substantial explosion.

Hollidaysburg police responded to a 911 call and found Henry rolling on the ground in the parking lot, a lighter by his side, court documents state. Henry reportedly said he was stabbed, although police saw no visible injuries and Henry ultimately refused treatment when an ambulance arrived.

Henry had been in an argument with several people across the street and ran to the gas station parking lot and removed the lid to one of the underground storage tanks, court documents state. It was then that he tried to blow up the tank with the burning leaves and even threw the lid toward a car that pulled into the gas station's parking lot.

Henry is charged with causing or risking a catastrophe, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled today before Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner.

Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.