I wonder how long it took them to make that determination. Meanwhile, the fire is belching particulates and noxious gases into the sky, and posing a danger of spreading to other infrastructure. Geesh!
Posted on 12/12/2005 1:03:06 PM PST by mazack
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England - Firefighters used chemical foam to extinguish part of the inferno raging Monday after explosions at a fuel depot north of London, while a huge oily smoke cloud from the blaze drifted over northern France and headed toward Spain.
The blasts Sunday, which injured 43 people, sent balls of fire into the sky and blew the doors off nearby houses, also contributed to a surge in oil prices to above $60 Monday.
The explosions came just four days after an al-Qaida videotape appeared on the Internet calling for attacks on facilities carrying oil that it claims has been stolen from Muslims in the Middle East, but police said they believed the blasts were accidental.
"We're keeping an open mind but there is no indication at this point that is anything other than an accident," Chief Superintendent Jeremy Alford said Monday. "When we get into the site ... we'll treat it as a scene which may be a crime. We'll do full forensics."
The explosions occurred five months after transit terror attacks that killed 52 people and four suicide bombers.
Fire officials said they had put out blazes at half the 20 fuel tanks at the Buncefield depot 25 miles north of London, the fifth-largest in Britain. Authorities approved the use of foam to fight the fire after determining the runoff would not pollute ground water supplies.
Jane Hogg, the mayor of Dacorum Borough Council, said firefighters hoped to have the blaze fully extinguished sometime Monday, but a thick black plume of smoke continued to billow from the depot, which stores gasoline, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel.
Left to itself, the fire might burn for three days, said Roy Wilsher, chief fire officer in Hertfordshire county.
"We are in uncharted territory. This is the largest fire of this kind that the U.K. and Europe have dealt with," he said at a news briefing.
A smoke cloud also drifted over northwestern France and was expected to reach Spain within 48 hours, France's national weather service said Monday.
Most of the 2,000 people evacuated from their homes Sunday were still waiting to return, some biding their time with children and pets at a recreation center.
"I really want to get back, have a bath, have a shave, change clothes, but we're pretty lucky. Nobody died," said Frank Maw, 49, a civil servant.
Hogg said authorities were trying to get people back in their homes as soon as possible, but first they needed to be sure that the homes were structurally sound.
Most of the injured were treated for cuts and bruises from flying glass. One of two men with more serious injuries remained in a local hospital on Monday, Hertfordshire Police said. The other was released.
Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said police had yet to interview managers at the oil depot, and that the fire may have destroyed evidence leading to the cause.
"It may well be that once the fire is out, there will be very little for our forensic teams to look at, but I think we will find out what happened," Whiteley said.
The depot, operated by French oil firm Total S.A. and part-owned by Texaco, stores 4.2 million gallons of gasoline, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel.
Oil companies, pipeline operators and the airline industry held emergency talks Monday to keep supplies flowing, although authorities said the explosions wouldn't lead to a shortage. Oil prices surged above $60 amid forecasts of colder weather in the U.S. Northeast, boosted expectations of a rise in demand and an agreement by OPEC to maintain its present output.
Total said it already had contingency plans to reroute supplies that normally run through the plant.
"There shouldn't be any problem with supplies," said company spokeswoman Lesley Else. "Everyone is working together to ensure minimal disruption."
The Buncefield plant at Hemel Hempstead carries jet fuel to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. British Airways said it expected no disruption of schedules because of the fire.
Wilsher said firefighters were using nearly 8,500 gallons of water per minute from two different attack points to fight the fire. He said the wind was causing the smoke to swirl around the site, making conditions harsh for firefighters.
He said firefighters were within 100 yards of the blazing tanks.
"They will be wearing breathing apparatus and protective equipment. They will be monitored by safety officers, and we will be bringing relief in all the time to make sure they are not in those conditions for too long," Wilsher said.
Police officers also wore breathing masks while maintaining a wide cordon around the site. About 25 officers were examined by doctors for breathing problems.
Britain's deadliest oil-related disaster was the July 6, 1988, explosion and fire on the North Sea oil platform Piper Alpha, off the Scottish coast, which killed 167 workers.
In 1994, a blast and fire at an oil refinery in Milford Haven, Wales, injured 26 workers and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. Oil companies Texaco and Gulf were eventually fined for violating health and safety regulations.
Have they surrendered yet?
Then why don't you invade them, France? That'll be fun to watch for the ten minutes it will take* for the Brits to eliminate you. (*Tea break included.)
If I remember correctly, oil burns creating white smoke - which will be welcomed in France.
If it was black smoke, it would be subject to discriminating French winds.
yeah they ran out of cars to burn, so now they want to import smoke
Doogle
bttt
Explsion on the 11th of the month - coincidence?
Does this mean that France will no longer "comply" with Kyoto?
I understand that the Germans are hoping that it moves their way, thus making it more difficult to smell their fellow countrymen.
Does this mean the UK has to pay France "carbon credits" per the Kyoto Treaty?
No, this is just payback for all that car smoke from last month France gave to the UK. It all cancells out, so there will be no Kyoto credit loss. Funny how that works....It doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with actual pollution.
"Why would a fuel storage facility cause a surge in oil prices? It was a storage site for aviation fuel for the nearby airport."
It's a major distribution hub for petrol, in addition to this.
Hmmm Not a terrorist act: If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.
I wonder how long it took them to make that determination. Meanwhile, the fire is belching particulates and noxious gases into the sky, and posing a danger of spreading to other infrastructure. Geesh!
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