Refinery Fire: Blaze Erupts on New York’s Staten Island

02/21/2003 | AP, Reuters

[Woodman]

NEW YORK (AP) - An explosion rocked an oil refinery on the edge of Staten Island, sending black smoke and flames hundreds of feet into the air.

"We have a preliminary report that tanker was transferring a product or was being fueled and somehow ignited," Fire Department Chief William Van Wart said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether any of the dozens of oil tanks in the area were burning.

FBI spokesman Steve Kodak in Newark, N.J., said there was no indication of terrorism. However, FBI officials in Washington said they were still examining it because a refinery is the type of infrastructure terrorists might target.

The explosion, which could be heard several miles away, occurred at the edge of Port Mobile, near the Outerbridge Crossing that links the island to Woodbridge, N.J., in the southwestern part of Staten Island, said a spokeswoman for the Staten Island borough office.

It was reported shortly after 10 a.m., according to a spokeswoman for the New York Fire Department. No injuries were immediately reported.

City officials said residents were not in immediate danger.

"At this point, people should not take any special precautions. It's unlikely this could spread to a residential area," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said shortly after the fire was reported.

Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A fuel barge caught fire near an oil storage terminal off New York's Staten Island on Friday, but the immediate cause of the blaze was not known, fire officials said.

Law enforcement officials said there were no initial indications that it was anything other than an accident.

U.S. Coast Guard officials said the facility was owned by Exxon Mobil, the world's largest oil company.

Initial reports from fire officials described the barge as carrying propane.

Residents of the New York borough and nearby towns in New Jersey said they heard an explosion and felt the ground and houses shake.

"A barge was being refueled and it somehow caught fire," Fire Chief William Van Ward of the New York Fire Department said on local WNBC-TV.

The explosion and fire, in the waterway known as Arthur Kill between Staten Island and New Jersey, sent huge clouds of black smoke and flames into the sky that could be seen from Manhattan.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or on the extent of the damage, officials said.

"There was a loud explosion like something fell on our house," Reuters reporter Rene Pastor said from Perth Amboy, New Jersey. "We rushed out and saw thick black smoke in the air, with flames shooting up into the sky."

[Alice in Wonderland]

There is no live dispatch from FDNY (Staten Island) ... but Brooklyn is sending a lot of units to S.I. via the lower level of the V.N. Bridge.

Listen here

[Tennessee_Bob]

Just talked with a member (from my work) who lives about 30 minutes from there. They have a friend who was working on the barge at the time of the explosion - he's fine, and he's reporting at this time that there are no deaths. However, the fire is massive, and there's no way to tell further.

[Admin Moderator]

we posted the AP update here to avoid redundant threads. thanks.

[P.O.E.]

Is that the "second tanker?"

[HairOfTheDog]

It should be considered a TERRORIST ACT FIRST and then only after serious investigation should it be otherwise then state it later...

What a hysterical world you want to live in.

[Cagey]

Why is it that the media is always so quick to say "it's not terrorism, it's just an accident" THAT's BS!

You can't blame the media on this one. The Newark, NJ, FBI office is making that statement and the media is reporting. Maybe it's the government treating us like idiots?

[McGruff]

Is that the "second tanker?"

Yes, smoke seems to be dying out now. That's good news.

MSNBC reporting fire from 100,000 gallons of unleaded fuel. That may explain why flames are dying out so quickly.

[Tennessee_Bob]

This message brough to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.

[dirtboy]

MSNBC reporting fire from 100,000 gallons of unleaded fuel. That may explain why flames are dying out so quickly.

Which will somehow amount to a twenty-cent increase in the pump price, even though it's only a drop in the bucket of national gasoline consumption.

[Steven W.]

I can't believe the hysteria being generated over this non-event. The transfer of fuel from barges to refineries is the most susceptible point in its processing. The fact this has so historically led to fires, etc., is why refineries are typically designed so that the points where fuel is offloaded and onloaded are always set back from the (major) remainder of the refineries. C'mon people, aside from a mere split-second consideration about terrorism when it's first seen or announced, I know it's hard for so many FReepers (the KOOKs as Rush calls 'em) but let's use some common sense here.

[steveegg]

Which will somehow amount to a twenty-cent increase in the pump price, even though it's only a drop in the bucket of national gasoline consumption.

Considering that it's in NYC, it'll be closer to 40 cents/gallon. Seriously, it was a good-sized fuel transfer facility, so that is something to take into account.

[Ramius]

It should be considered a TERRORIST ACT FIRST and then only after serious investigation should it be otherwise then state it later...They treat us like idiots every time!

No... to treat it as terrorism without any reason to do so would be to treat us like idiots. Especially for an event like this one.

This sort of thing isn't A-Q's style. They don't go after infrastructure, they go after mass casualties. Sure, it makes for spectacular TV, but it's not the sort of thing they have typically done. They only like it when hundreds or thousands of innocent people die.

[P.O.E.]

Thanks for the update.

[Tennessee_Bob]

HEY! No fair trying to inject common sense into this!

[Conservababe]

What happened to the thread that had over three hundred posts, please?

[billdcon]

Untrue - remember the attack on the French oil tanker last year? I don't recall how many people died in that attack, but I don't believe it was more than 5. Also, the attack on the USS Cole, while designed to hurt our military, was not something that could have resulted in thousands of deaths, even if all hands were lost. It's just speculation at this time, but A-Q seems to have an affinity for small ship-based terrorism operations. A speedboat with a couple of barrels of fertilizer and diesel fuel smashing into the transfer station COULD cause something like we are seeing now. Does anyone know what the restrictions on marine traffic are in this area?

[Ramius]

Untrue - remember the attack on the French oil tanker last year?

You're right about that. I wouldn't say it is impossible, merely unlikely.

[tutstar]

it's also been said that they seek to damage our economy

[PianoMan]

Ping. Were you still on Staten Island this morning?

[Humidston]

Hubby used to be in charge of that terminal. He said it isn't a propane fire. If propane, it would've blown huge and been done. Most likely fuel or home heating oil.