Emergency crews responded Monday morning to a fire at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia that sent thick plumes of black smoke into the air, visible from miles away, including Interstate 680 near Concord. At approximately 9 a.m., the Benicia Fire Department reported an active fire at the facility, urging residents to remain indoors, close…

A significant oil and natural gas release in coastal Louisiana has triggered a coordinated emergency response led by the Unified Command, which includes the U.S. Coast Guard, Spectrum OpCo (the well operator), and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO). The spill was first reported on April 26 in a marshland near a well operated…

A devastating fire at the Marathon Martinez Renewables facility in California has prompted federal safety officials to call for stricter safeguards around fired heater operations in chemical plants. Incident Overview In November 2023, a serious fire broke out at the Martinez, CA facility, leaving one worker with third-degree burns on much of his face and…

A Delta Airlines flight preparing to depart from Orlando International Airport was evacuated Monday morning after an engine caught fire, prompting a swift emergency response. The aircraft, scheduled to fly to Atlanta, Georgia, had just left the gate around 11:15 a.m. ET when flames were observed in the tailpipe of one of its two engines,…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded its investigation into the 2023 fire aboard the Grande Costa D’Avorio, a roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) vessel that caught fire while docked in Newark, New Jersey. The final report, approved during a public hearing on Tuesday, highlighted a chain of failures and misjudgments that culminated in a prolonged blaze…

The US Department of Labor has imposed a fine on a company following an investigation that determined improperly stored hazardous chemicals were responsible for a fire at a facility in Conyers, Georgia. The significant blaze at the Bio-Lab Inc. plant in September 2024 led to the closure of nearby roads and the evacuation of approximately…

A fire broke out at the Martinez Refining Company on Wednesday night, injuring a contract worker, according to refinery officials. The incident occurred around 7:50 p.m. when a portable air compressor caught fire during refueling. Refinery personnel quickly extinguished the flames, and officials confirmed that the fire was unrelated to the facility’s process units. The…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into a fire that occurred after American Airlines Flight 1006 landed at Denver International Airport on Thursday evening. Two NTSB investigators are examining the incident, which led to 12 people being hospitalized with minor injuries. Timeline of the Incident Passengers reported unusual engine noises shortly…

A fire broke out Sunday evening at Valero Energy’s Corpus Christi refinery in Texas, which processes up to 301,000 barrels per day. The incident led to the release of hazardous emissions, according to a regulatory filing submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Valero reported that the fire resulted from a loss of containment,…

A fire rekindled late Tuesday night at the Moss Landing Power Plant as lithium-ion batteries, which had been smoldering, caught fire once again, officials confirmed. This latest flare-up occurred within the same structure where a significant fire broke out on January 16 at Vistra’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility. Authorities indicated that while the…

According to the latest report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the fire onboard the cargo vessel Stride was caused by an incorrect valve installed in a diesel oil tank system six weeks before the incident. The fire broke out in the engine room of the vessel during bunkering operations at the Barbours…

The fire erupted at SPS Technologies on Highland Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on Monday. The fire escalated to a four-alarm emergency by 1 a.m., prompting nearly 70 fire companies, predominantly volunteer-based, to respond overnight. Chief Molloy reported that approximately 60 employees were inside when the fire began, but fortunately, all managed to evacuate safely, and…

A significant explosion followed by a fire at the Parker LORD Corporation facility in Saegertown, Crawford County, left 13 people injured on the morning of Sunday, February 9. Emergency responders arrived at the chemical plant on South Street around 10:30 a.m. after an automatic alarm was triggered, according to a company statement. While attempting to…

On Friday, Martinez Refining Company (MRC) provided an update regarding its ongoing investigation into the February 1 refinery fire, offering insights into the potential health impacts of the smoke that spread across northern Contra Costa County. The latest report outlines the company’s internal review of the incident, which triggered a temporary shelter-in-place advisory from health…

A hydrocarbon leak triggered an explosion and massive fire at the Martinez Refining Company on Saturday, leading to a shelter-in-place advisory for several hours as thick black smoke drifted over Martinez, Pacheco, and Clyde. All employees at the refinery, located at 3495 Pacheco Blvd., were accounted for. During a press briefing around 5:20 p.m., Contra…

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials revealed that the factory’s fire prevention system failed to function as intended, allowing the flames to spread. Following the incident, the facility was promptly evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The fire started on January the 16th where thick black smoke led to evacuation…

A fire erupted Monday afternoon at the HF Sinclair refinery located in west Tulsa. According to a company spokesperson, the fire was triggered by what they described as an “operational upset” at approximately 5 p.m. The spokesperson emphasized that the refinery’s emergency response team acted swiftly and in accordance with established procedures, successfully extinguishing the…

Thick black smoke from a petroleum tank fire blanketed the skies over Tulsa County on Tuesday, visible from miles away. As a precaution, firefighters evacuated nearby areas. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. A heavy plume of black smoke was emanating from the structure. It appeared to be a petroleum tank farm, with multiple tanks involved…

An explosion at a food coloring factory in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 12 resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left several others injured. The incident occurred at a Givaudan Sense Colour facility, which specializes in producing colorants for food and beverages. In a public statement, Givaudan expressed deep sorrow, confirming the loss of…

The U.S. Department of Labor has reported that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) conducted targeted inspections in September 2024 at eight mines located in Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These inspections led to the identification of 112 safety violations. Since 2023, MSHA’s targeted inspections have revealed 4,679 total…

An explosion occurred around 11:45 AM on October 24th at a facility operated by the Water Pollution Control Authority in Bantam, near Litchfield, Connecticut. The incident prompted a response from both the Bantam and Litchfield Fire Departments, alongside paramedics, after reports of a sewage tank explosion. Upon arrival, emergency teams were informed by site employees…

Two individuals have been confirmed dead, and more than 35 others were injured following a chemical leak at a Pemex refinery in Deer Park on Thursday evening. Officials at the Pemex facility, located at 5900 Highway 225, explained that they were managing an emergency, which had begun at approximately 4:40 p.m. This information was shared…

The EPA found that Philadelphia Energy Solutions failed to identify hazards posed by a corroded pipe. The U.S. government has reached a $4.2 million settlement with Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining and Marketing LLC (PES) to resolve penalties under the Clean Air Act (CAA) related to the fire and explosion that occurred on June 21, 2019,…

A fire at a chemical plant in Conyers, Georgia, prompted a large-scale evacuation over the weekend as officials worked to contain the situation and ensure public safety. The fire broke out early Sunday morning at the BioLab facility, a manufacturer of pool and spa treatment products. The blaze produced a massive plume of smoke, raising…

Residents in Cleves and Whitewater Township, Ohio, were instructed to evacuate promptly following a chemical spill deemed “dangerous” by local authorities on the 24th of September. According to an official from the Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the leak did not result from a train derailment but was instead caused by an…

On Monday, oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico began evacuating workers and reducing drilling operations as Tropical Storm Francine moved toward the area, according to various reports. The storm is forecasted to strengthen into the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season and is expected to hit the Louisiana coast by Wednesday…

A fire erupted Thursday the 5th inside a San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) battery storage facility located in Escondido, California. The fire, which ignited lithium-ion batteries inside a storage container, led to the evacuation of around 500 nearby businesses, according to a fire official. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 12:10 p.m. after…

Picture reveals the aftermath of a deadly crash on the Bruce Highway early Friday 31st morning, where a utility vehicle collided with a truck carrying 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, leading to a fatality. The driver of the ute lost his life, while bystanders rescued the truck driver, who sustained injuries to his abdomen, legs,…

A tragic explosion occurred on Saturday night on an offshore natural gas pipeline close to Venice, Louisiana, resulting in the death of one individual, as confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday. The pipeline, which is operated by Whitney Oil and Gas, was involved in the incident. According to a statement released by Louisiana…

An explosion occurred at the Evonik chemical plant in Theodore on Saturday due to an over-pressurized railcar. Emergency responders, including Mobile County Fire and Mobile Fire-Rescue teams, along with other agencies, quickly arrived at the scene to provide assistance. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported. According to the company, the incident happened when a…

At 9:31 a.m. on July 11, Franklin County Emergency Management received a call about a hazardous materials situation at a facility on Development Avenue in Letterkenny Township. The incident occurred at the AFCO facility in the 800 block, involving a leak that released a mixture of water, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and a dye, according…

A devastating fire at a fertilizer warehouse in South Hill, Virginia, resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to more than a dozen firefighters on Saturday. Preliminary findings from the South Hill Police Department indicate that the fire erupted when a woman crashed her vehicle into a Nutrien Ag Solutions facility on West…

On Friday morning, a mine shaft explosion in Placer County resulted in critical injuries for two workers, officials reported. The incident occurred around 9:40 a.m. at a mine located on Mosquito Ridge Road within the Tahoe National Forest, as detailed in a news release from the Foresthill Fire Protection District. Responders from the Foresthill Fire…

On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, USA. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, were burned following the accident, releasing hazardous fumes into the air. During a board meeting on Tuesday, the NTSB revealed that the derailment was caused by an overheated…

A leak from a Union Pacific tanker car carrying nitric acid led to evacuations and a highway closure lasting over two hours, multiple sources reported. At approximately 10 a.m., witnesses observed a railcar on the Union Pacific track emitting a chemical cloud. Responding to the incident were White County Emergency Management, the White County sheriff’s…

A tanker truck carrying hazardous materials exploded last Friday while traveling along I-10, injuring the driver and leading to an extended closure of the highway. The explosion occurred at 7:30 a.m. near Red Cloud Mine Road, east of Chiraco Summit, for reasons that are still unknown, according to Rob Roseen, a spokesperson for Cal Fire/Riverside…

A worker at a Chattanooga facility has died following a chemical fire, as reported by state officials. Emergency crews arrived at TS USA, located off Riverfront Parkway, on Thursday morning and discovered the worker along with three others suffering from burn injuries. According to the Chattanooga Fire Department, the worker, whose identity remains undisclosed, was…

On Wednesday morning, a tanker transporting sodium hydroxide exploded at the Royal Chemical facility in Macedonia, leading to three reported injuries, as stated by Macedonia Fire Chief Brian Ripley. Out of the three injured individuals, two were taken to Metro General Hospital in Cleveland. One of them sustained life-threatening burns, while the other suffered severe…

Washington, D.C. – April 4, 2024 – The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has initiated investigations into two separate incidents involving toxic chemicals released at facilities in Louisiana in 2023. The incidents under scrutiny include the discharge of hydrogen fluoride (HF) and chlorine at the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies facility in…

Phillips 66 released a statement affirming that operations at the refinery remain uninterrupted despite the recent incident. Two employees sustained injuries and were promptly transported to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, both individuals are anticipated to recover fully. The company has committed to launching an immediate investigation into the incident to ascertain its underlying causes…

Six individuals are currently unaccounted for and presumed deceased following a devastating incident in Baltimore, where a container ship collided with the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in its collapse. The Coast Guard has ceased its search efforts and shifted focus to recovery operations. Stretching over 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles), the bridge suffered irreparable…

The Valero Benicia Refinery has disclosed detailed information regarding the incident that led to the release of an unpleasant odor into the city of Benicia on February 24th and has formally concluded its investigation. The sequence of events unfolded on Friday, February 23rd when a gas turbine malfunctioned in the Benicia Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracker…

An incident unfolded in Defiance, Ohio, where emergency responders from the Defiance Fire Department and Police Department swiftly reacted to reports of an explosion around 4:00 PM local time. Upon their arrival, it became evident that visible smoke and flames engulfed the facility, with signs of structural damage indicating an explosion had transpired, as stated…

Phillips 66 refinery officials in Billings have disclosed the findings of their investigation into the events that led to a series of fires emitting black smoke on February 9th. In reports furnished to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality following a public information request, senior environmental consultant Matt Evans of Phillips 66 revealed that hydrocarbons,…

United Airlines encountered a series of flight-related incidents in Texas over the past week, prompting attention and concern. On Monday, an alarming incident occurred when an engine of one of the airline’s planes caught fire mid-flight. Subsequently, on Thursday, a separate flight faced a perilous situation as it lost a tire during its journey. Additionally,…