Major 50 Fires & Explosions

Major 50 Fires & Explosions
1983 to 2003
Pillai Sreejith
pillai_sreejith@hotmail.com
Abbreviations used:
 VCE-Vapour Cloud Explosion
 BLEVE: Boiling Liquid Evaporating Vapour explosion
 DNA- Details Not Available
 FLR- Floating Roof Tank
 Pr- Pressure
 Fr-Fixed Roof tank
 Exp- Explosion
 NA- Not Applicable
 GL- Ground Level
 NK- Not Known
 ff-Fire Fighting
Major Fire / Explosion 1
 Date: 7.1.1983
 Location: New York port, NJ, USA
 Chemical involved: Gasoline
 Type of tank: FLR
 Event: VCE
 Cause of Fire: NK
 Time taken to fight fire:DNA
 Problems faced in ff:DNA
 Deaths /Injuries/Evacuated: 1d/0i/0e
 Property loss: 40.3 Million USD
 Date: 30.08.1983
 Location: Milford Haven, Refinery, U.K.
 Chemical involved: Crude Oil
 Event: Fire / Boil Over
 Cause of Fire: Crack in the roof allowed vapours to get
ignited by carbon particles from flare
 Time taken to fight fire:15 h
 Problems faced in ff:Insufficient foam
 Date: 19.11.1984
 Location: LPG Depot, San Juanico, Mexico
 Chemical involved: LPG
 Type of tank: Pr. Vessel
 Event: VCE /BLEVE /Fire
 Cause of Fire: Leak from 12” pipeline ignited by GL
flare
 Problems faced in ff:Nil
 Date: 24.2.1986
 Location: Oil terminal, Thessalonilca, Greece
 Event: VCE /Exp/Boil Over
 Cause of Fire: Hot work in bund area ignited oil spillage
 Time taken to fight fire:168h
 Problems faced in ff:Burn back of flame in area
extinguished by foam
 Deaths /Injuries/Evacuated: Nil
 Property loss: DNA
 Date: April 1986
 Location: Storage Terminal, Usan, South Korea
 Chemical involved: Oil
 Type of tank: FR
 Event: Exp.
 Cause of Fire: DNA
 Location: Refinery, Singapore
 Event: Fire
 Date: May 1986
 Location: Storage Terminal, Saraland, USA
 Event: Fire /Exp.
 Date: May 1986
 Location: Refinery, Sardinia, Italy
 Type of tank: Gas
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Soldering iron ignited during maintenance
 Date: May 1986
 Location: Refinery, Mexico
 Chemical involved: Gas Oil
 Type of tank: DNA
 Event: Exp.
 Cause of Fire: Lightning
 Date: May 1987
 Location: Storage Terminal, Kuwait
 Chemical involved: LPG
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Sabotage
 Date: May 1987
 Location: Tokyo, Japan
 Chemical involved: Fuel Oil
 Event: Exp.
 Cause of Fire: Unsafe maintenance act
 Date: June1987
 Location: Storage Depot., Lyon, France
 Chemical involved: Gasoilne
 Event: Exp./Fire
 Property loss: 12 Million Franc
 Date: 2.6.1987
 Location: Shell Depot, Port Edoward, Herriot, France
 Chemical involved: Flammable Liquid
 Event: Fire /Exp./Boil Over
 Cause of Fire: Welding Machine ignited flammable spray
 Problems faced in ff:Inadequate foam / lack of heavy
duty equipment
 Date: 11.6.1987
 Location: Refinery, Dalmeny, Grangemouth
 Chemical involved: Flammable Liquids
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Sludge with flash point less than 1 C ignited
by a cigarette
 Problems faced in ff:Inadequate foam / lack of heavy duty
equipment
 Date: Aug 1987
 Location: Philadelphia, USA
 Event: Fire
 Deaths /Injuries/Evacuated: DNA
 Property loss: 24000 barrels burnt
 Date: Oct 1987
 Location: Plastic plant, Tray Ohio, USA
 Chemical involved: Molten Polymer
 Event: Fire /Exp.
 Date: Dec. 1987
 Location: Refinery, Mumbai
 Event: Fire
 Date: Dec.1987
 Location: Chemical Plant, Basle, Switzerland
 Chemical involved: Ethylene Oxide
 Event: Fire / Exp.
 Cause of Fire: Material Fire
 Date: 02.01.1988
 Location: Floreffe, Pensylvania
 Event: Tank shifted 100’ away & spillage went to river
 Cause of Fire: Rupture of tank due to low temp
embitterment & ignited by welding equipment
 Time taken to fight fire:NA
 Problems faced in ff:NA
 Deaths /Injuries/Evacuated: nil
 Location: Petrochemical Plant, Jubail, Saudi Arabia
 Chemical involved: Ethylene
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Missile Attack
 Time taken to fight fire:1 week
 Date: May 1988
 Location: Storage Terminal, Chihuahua City, Mexico
 Event: Exp.
 Cause of Fire: Electrical Short Circuit
 Property loss: USD 0.5 Million
 Date: June 1988
 Location: Storage Terminal, Sines, Portugal
 Event: Exp./Fire / Roof Blowing
 Problems faced in ff:Flying roof fell on firemen
 Date: 15.06.1988
 Location: Fertilizer Plant, Genoa, Italy
 Chemical involved: Hydrogen
 Type of tank: Pr. Vessel
 Event: Exp.
 Time taken to fight fire:NK
 Date: 23.06.1988
 Location: Storage Terminal, Mexico
 Event: Exp.
 Cause of Fire: Sparks of soldering iron ignited overfilled
contents through corroded roof
 Property loss: USD 3 Million
 Date: 16.07.1988
 Location: Refinery, California
 Chemical involved: Hydrogen Peroxide
 Event: Exp. /Spillage of 600 BBL
 Cause of Fire: Sparks welding torch
 Problems faced in ff:Crew built dykes for containment
 Date: 23.10.1988
 Location: Electronics Industry, Sunnywale, California, USA
 Chemical involved: Silane Gas
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Auto Ignition
 Problems faced in ff:Fire continued till product is consumed
 Date: 25.10.1988
 Location: Refinery, Singapore
 Chemical involved: Naphtha
 Event: Fire
 Time taken to fight fire: 5 days
 Problems faced in ff:Mutual Aid sought from govt. &
industries
 Property loss: USD 8 Million
 Date: 09.01.1988
 Location: Refinery, Mahul, Mumbai
 Event: Exp/fire/roof blowing
 Cause of Fire: Pipeline burst
 Date: 17.01.1989
 Location: Fertlizer Plant, Bhatinda, Punjab
 Chemical involved: Ammonia
 Event: Gas leak & Fire
 Cause of Fire: Not Known
 Date: 20.03.1989
 Location: Fertilizer Plant, Janova, Lithuania
 Chemical involved: Ammonia
 Type of tank: Refrigerated storage
 Event: Fire / Toxic release
 Cause of Fire: NH3 vapour pressure increased and tank burst due to NH3
compressor failure
 Time taken to fight fire:12 h for tank fire & 72 h for fertilizer
plant
 Date: 22.03.1989
 Location: Storage terminal, Sulfam Voe, U.K.
 Event: Fire
 Date: 26.03.1989
 Location: Refinery, Porvoo, Finland
 Chemical involved: Hexane
 Type of tank: Floating chamber storage tank
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Not Known
 Date: 30.06.1989
 Location: Power Station, Puerto Ayacuho, Venezuela
 Event: Fire / Boil Over
 Date: 26.08.1989
 Location: Refinery,Bahrain
 Chemical involved: Petroleum Products
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Improper maintenance work
 Date: 17.10.1989
 Location: Storage Terminal, Rotterdam
 Chemical involved: Acrylonitrile
 Event: Explosion
 Cause of Fire: Improper maintenance work
 Deaths /Injuries/Evacuated: DNA
 Date: 29.05.1991
 Location: Refinery, Vishakapatinam
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Lightning strike
 Time taken to fight fire:1 hour
 Problems faced in ff:though Halon acted, foam and
portable fire extinguishers also were used
 Property loss: approx. 55 lakhs
 Date: 11.07.1991
 Location: ONGC, Mehsana, Gujarat
 Event: Fire / Roof & shell were blown out
 Cause of Fire: lightning strike (tank not earthed)
 Time taken to fight fire:2 ½ h
 Property loss: Rs. 1 crore
 Date: 21.08.1991
 Location: Tank terminal, Coodee Island, Australia
 Chemical involved: Acrylonitrile
 Event: Lifting of tanks from base & bund, pool fires,
tank explosion
 Problems faced in ff:NK
 Property loss: USD 24 million
 Date: 02.11.1994
 Location: Tank Depot, Dronka, Egypt
 Chemical involved: Aviation / Diesel
 Event: Blazing liquid flowed into village
 Problems faced in ff:NK
 Deaths /Injuries/Evacuated: NK
 Property loss: NK
 Date: 08.04.1995
 Location: Barouch
 Chemical involved: Impure Methanol
 Event: Fire & Explosion
 Cause of Fire: Pyrophoric iron
 Date: 04.08.1995
 Location: Refinery, Baroda
 Chemical involved: Motor Spirit / Petrol
 Event: Fire / Fire Ball
 Cause of Fire: Ineffective spark arrestor provided
 Problems faced in ff:Intense fire did not allow people to
go near the dyke
 Property loss: NK
 Date: 31.12.1995
 Location: Pharmaceutical factory, Mohali, Chandigarh
 Chemical involved: Toulene / HCL
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Static Electricity
 Time taken to fight fire:3 ½ h
 Property loss: Rs. 3.25 crores
 Date: 05.01.1996
 Location: Petroleum Company, Manesar, India
 Chemical involved: Acid
 Cause of Fire: Clogging of filter
 Date: 10.02.1996
 Location: Thane
 Chemical involved: Furnace Oil
 Event: Fire & Explosion
 Cause of Fire: Overheating of coils due to low oil level
 Date: 09.09.1996
 Location: Refinery, Digboi
 Event: Flash fire through storm water drain
 Cause of Fire: Spark from nearby hutment
 Date: 24.09.1996
 Location: Fertilizer Plant, Rourkela
 Event: Fire
 Date: 20.07.1997
 Location: Refinery, Haldia
 Chemical involved: Crude
 Event: Tank rim fire
 Property loss: Approximately Rs. 5 lakhs
 Date: 07.10.1997
 Location: Refinery, Gujarat
 Event: Smoke / Fire from the tank roof
 Cause of Fire: Pyrophoric iron
 Problems faced in ff:Foam used, mutual aid assistance
from neighboring industries called in for help
 Property loss: Approximately Rs. 5 lakhs
 Date: 07.03.2003
 Location: Refinery, Digboi, Assam
 Chemical involved: Motor Spirit / Petrol
 Event: Fire
 Cause of Fire: Terrorism
 Problems faced in ff:Fire fighting hampered due to
collapse of floating roof and partial tank shell
 Property loss: Rs. 11.25 crores
 Date: 09.04.2003
 Location: Fertilizer Plant, Paradep,Orissa
 Chemical involved: Phosphoric Acid
 Cause of Fire: Pressurization of tank due to generation of
Hydrogen due to reaction between Phosphoric acid and steel
 Property loss: Rs. 4 crores
Thank you!!
pillai_sreejith@hotmail.com

Major 50 Fires & Explosions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Major 50 Fires & Explosions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Major 50 Fires & Explosions

You might also like

Major 50 Fires &amp; Explosions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Major 50 Fires &amp; Explosions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Major 50 Fires & Explosions

You might also like

Major 50 Fires & Explosions

Major 50 Fires & Explosions