|
ROXANA
Fire-fighters battled an industrial blaze at ConocoPhillips that sent
thick black smoke and flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air
on Sunday. Flames could be seen firing into the sky while the thick
black cloud of smoke drifted slowly north before dissipating from view.
It wasn’t immediately clear what was on fire but within an hour the
charcoal haze was all but gone. A ConocoPhillips spokeswoman said a
catalytic feed hydrotreater ignited around 11 a.m and that "The
fire was immediately contained".
Motorists on Illinois Route 111 soon saw a lighter softer gray smoke
hovering over the unit where the fire started toward the middle of the
plant.
The company spokeswoman said one of the reasons the fire was brought
under control so quickly was due to the refinery’s well-trained fire
department plus the use of mutual aid with area fire departments. "Our
training is continuous and ongoing," she said. "The refinery’s fire
department logs hundreds of hours of training each year and we also
call in surrounding fire departments when needed."
Firefighters from Roxana, Wood River and Godfrey were called to the
scene within 30 minutes from the start of the fire. Firefighters were
on the scene several hours. The company spokeswoman said the reason
that Wood River Fire Department and Godfrey Fire Protection District
were called to the scene was that the fire was elevated and the refinery
needed the use of the departments’ aerial fire trucks. Wood River’s
truck extends to a height of 85 feet and Godfrey’s elevated platform
reaches 100 feet.
The company spokeswoman said no one was injured and residents were
not evacuated. "We monitored the air quality and there is no cause for
concern." She said that all state and federal agencies have been notified
about the incident. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and
refinery personnel will not know a reason for the blaze until an investigation
is completed.
The company spokesperson said the component that caught fire is used
to remove impurities, such as sulfur and other trace metals, from crude
oil."It takes things out of the crude before being sent to the catalytic
cracker". "It’s just one of the many steps in making cleaner products
for our customers."
ConocoPhillips was founded in 2002, following the merger of Conoco
Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co. The Wood River refinery is ConocoPhillips’
largest refinery. The refinery produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel,
propane and asphalt. |
