2009 Cataño oil refinery fire: Difference between revisions
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[[Governor of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rico Governor]] [[Luis Fortuño]] declared a [[state of emergency]].<ref name="bbc"/> [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] separately declared a federal state of emergency in Puerto Rico, clearing the way for U.S. federal agencies to coordinate disaster relief and authorizing the use of federal funds.<ref name="upi"> {{cite news |first=Andres |last=Martinez |title=Puerto Rico oil fire burns uncontrolled |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/10/25/Puerto-Rico-oil-fire-burns-uncontrolled/UPI-32951256472507/ |work=[[United Press International]]|date=2009-10-25 |accessdate=2009-10-25 }}</ref> Fighting the fire has cost the local Puerto Rican government more than $6.4 million, as of October 25.<ref name="upi"/> The [[United States Army]] announced that the explosion and fire had closed nearby [[Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico|Fort Buchanan]] until further notice.<ref name="cb">{{cite news |title=Fort Buchanan remains closed due to fire |url=http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=36642&ct_id=1&ct_name=1 |work=[[Caribbean Business]] |date=2009-10-25 |accessdate=2009-10-25}}</ref> |
[[Governor of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rico Governor]] [[Luis Fortuño]] declared a [[state of emergency]].<ref name="bbc"/> [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] separately declared a federal state of emergency in Puerto Rico, clearing the way for U.S. federal agencies to coordinate disaster relief and authorizing the use of federal funds.<ref name="upi"> {{cite news |first=Andres |last=Martinez |title=Puerto Rico oil fire burns uncontrolled |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/10/25/Puerto-Rico-oil-fire-burns-uncontrolled/UPI-32951256472507/ |work=[[United Press International]]|date=2009-10-25 |accessdate=2009-10-25 }}</ref> Fighting the fire has cost the local Puerto Rican government more than $6.4 million, as of October 25.<ref name="upi"/> The [[United States Army]] announced that the explosion and fire had closed nearby [[Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico|Fort Buchanan]] until further notice.<ref name="cb">{{cite news |title=Fort Buchanan remains closed due to fire |url=http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=36642&ct_id=1&ct_name=1 |work=[[Caribbean Business]] |date=2009-10-25 |accessdate=2009-10-25}}</ref> |
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Authorities |
Authorities built a temporary pipe to [[San Juan Bay]] in order to bring [[seawater]] to fight the fire.<ref name="wp">{{cite news |title= Winds shift as fire burns Puerto Rican oil depot |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/24/AR2009102401693.html |work=[[Reuters]] |publisher=[[Washington Post]] |date=2009-10-24 |accessdate=2009-10-25 }}</ref> [[Fire fighting foam]] was supplied from the nearby [[United States Virgin Islands]].<ref name="wp"/> Luis Fortuño announced on October 25 that the fire had been extinguished,<ref name="earthtimes">{{cite news |author=[[Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration]] |url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/puerto-rico-fire-extinguished,1012559.shtml |title=Puerto Rico Fire Extinguished |publisher=[[Earthtimes]] |date=2009-10-26 |accessdate=2009-10-26}}</ref> and estimated the initial cost to fight the fire at $6.4 million.<ref name="dailyme">{{cite news |url=http://dailyme.com/story/2009102500003485/feds-probe-pr-fuel-depot-fire.html|author=Coto, Danila|title=Feds probe cause of PR fuel depot fire|date=2009-10-25 |accessdate=2009-10-26|publisher=[[Associated Press]] }}</ref> |
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[[Image:Graffiti_ACNF.jpg|thumb|A graffiti that apparently appeared after the explosion. The graffiti reads: "Boom! Fuego! RIP Gulf, SOUL." signed ACNF!]] |
[[Image:Graffiti_ACNF.jpg|thumb|A graffiti that apparently appeared after the explosion. The graffiti reads: "Boom! Fuego! RIP Gulf, SOUL." signed ACNF!]] |
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More than 60 agents from both the [[FBI]] and the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] have been dispatched to the Caribbean Petroleum Corp. in Bayamon, just west of San Juan, to aid in the investigation, said ATF spokesman Marcial Orlando Felix. Several agents flew in from the U.S.<ref name="dailyme" /> |
More than 60 agents from both the [[FBI]] and the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] have been dispatched to the Caribbean Petroleum Corp. in Bayamon, just west of San Juan, to aid in the investigation, said ATF spokesman Marcial Orlando Felix. Several agents flew in from the U.S.<ref name="dailyme" /> |
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Revision as of 01:11, 27 October 2009
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (October 2009) |
The 2009 Cataño oil refinery fire was a fire that began around midnight on October 23, 2009, and was extinguished on October 25 at the Caribbean Petroleum Corporation oil refinery and oil depot in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.[1] While the fire and subsequent explosion occurred close to a town in Cataño, it technically occurred within the borders of Bayamón, even though Cataño was more affected by fumes and evacuation.
The initial fire destroyed eleven storage tanks at the facility, but quickly spread to other nearby tanks. The tanks contained jet fuel, oil, and bunker fuel. The resulting explosion was measured as the equivalent to a 2.8-magnitude earthquake of the Richter scale.[1] The tanks exploded at approximately 12:23 a.m. and could be heard over five miles away and shook windows and doors over two miles away. At some point the flames reached a height of 100 feet (30 m) above the refinery.[1]
One hundred thirty firefighters, with the support of the Puerto Rico National Guard, responded to the fire. One thousand five hundred residents were evacuated from four adjacent communities.[1]
Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño declared a state of emergency.[1] President Barack Obama separately declared a federal state of emergency in Puerto Rico, clearing the way for U.S. federal agencies to coordinate disaster relief and authorizing the use of federal funds.[2] Fighting the fire has cost the local Puerto Rican government more than $6.4 million, as of October 25.[2] The United States Army announced that the explosion and fire had closed nearby Fort Buchanan until further notice.[3]
Authorities built a temporary pipe to San Juan Bay in order to bring seawater to fight the fire.[4] Fire fighting foam was supplied from the nearby United States Virgin Islands.[4] Luis Fortuño announced on October 25 that the fire had been extinguished,[5] and estimated the initial cost to fight the fire at $6.4 million.[6]
More than 60 agents from both the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been dispatched to the Caribbean Petroleum Corp. in Bayamon, just west of San Juan, to aid in the investigation, said ATF spokesman Marcial Orlando Felix. Several agents flew in from the U.S.[6]
The Caribbean Petroleum Corporation supplies most of Puerto Rico's oil and gasoline, which is marketed under the Gulf Oil brand name. Government officials have reported that Puerto Rico has enough fuel and diesel to last for 24 days after the disaster.[7]
Even though the fire was extremely dangerous, no one was injured or killed. Nearby residents were evacuated in time.
References
- ^ a b c d e "Evacuation from Puerto Rico fire". BBC News. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b Martinez, Andres (2009-10-25). "Puerto Rico oil fire burns uncontrolled". United Press International. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ "Fort Buchanan remains closed due to fire". Caribbean Business. 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b "Winds shift as fire burns Puerto Rican oil depot". Reuters. Washington Post. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (2009-10-26). "Puerto Rico Fire Extinguished". Earthtimes. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ a b Coto, Danila (2009-10-25). "Feds probe cause of PR fuel depot fire". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Martinez, Andres (2009-10-23). "Puerto Rico Has Fuel Supplies for 24 Days After Fire". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2009-10-25.