BREAKING NEWS - MASSIVE EXPLOSION AND FIRE - NJ [Actually, Staten Island NY: AM]

ME | 2/21/03 | SELF

[LonePalm]

I just turned and looked out my office window and saw a column of black smoke rising towards Union Beach/Perth Amboy NJ.

I then felt the force of an explosion rattle my window.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

I can't speak for the others - but the Chicago refinery fire was a simple exchanger line that opened up. Not a biggie. I have a buddy who is an operator there. Made for good pics, but didn't do a whole lotta damage.

[yonif]

The Communist News Network is also reporting.

[PISANO]

Yeah, SCARFO.

[tje]

Add ELF.. Oh, you have terrorists already listed..

[mr.pink]

Could it be caused by:

— The owners, to collect the insurance?
— Terrorists, to hurt the US?
— Peace activists, to hurt the US?

- or an accident.

[HELLRAISER II]

Sorry I was referencing this same fire along with the other fires of this week and last week.

[Dog]

CNN also reported that Oil futures have jumped a $1.00

[cgk]

I am having eerie flashbacks to the USS Cole. A BARGE?? They're saying it's a propane barge on FNC now.

Mrs K

[PhiKapMom]

Fox is reporting this is a propane barge!

[Solamente]

It smells like fuel oil rather than gasoline....

[yonif]

war of the worlds...muslims vs christians

The muslims are vs. the Jews too.

[HairOfTheDog]

Gasoline is flammable. There are fires sometimes.

When the terrorists actually strike, i.e. here and in Isreal, does it ever look like like it could possibly be confused with an industrial accident? - or aren't they pretty obvious?

[HELLRAISER II]

I hope that they are all simple accidents, but I don't think they are.

[dalereed]

"is what the expert on Fox is saying"

An expert is a con artist more than 50 miles from home!

[yonif]

This could be home grown terrorism.... some environmentalist peacenick trying to get some "no war for oil" attention.

Good guess!

[Redcloak]

Not meaning to sound alarmist, but I think that we've just been hit. Fox News is talking to a former supervisor(?) who worked at that facility. It's a storage area, not a refinery. There's nothing there that could generate the conditions necessary for an explosion. (Unlike a refinery which is heating the product.) It's also cold there. Shots from a news chopper show snow on the ground. Cold further reduces the chances of an explosion at a storage facility. It also looks like the site of the incident is right on the water; a place where it's more than possible to approach the facility. Driving a vehicle into the plant isn't easy, but piloting a small boat up to it is another matter.

[mware]

Prayers to all the brave souls on the tanker and those fighting the fire.

[HELLRAISER II]

True enough, I just hope there won't be anymore.