A tanker explosion at the San Joaquin Refinery early Thursday morning lit up the sky. With four large gallon oil tanks nearby, the fire had the potential of doing a lot of damage. Fire crews were able to keep the flames from spreading, but that wasn't the only miracle that morning. The two drivers of the exploded tanker, who were both right next to the truck, were able to walk away from the blast with some minor injuries. One of the drivers, Greg Champlin, had some scrapes on the left side of his face, minor bleeding from his ear, and had carbon monoxide poisoning from the fumes he inhaled from the fire. Champlin doesn't know how the explosion happened but knows he is lucky to be alive. "It was so bright you couldn't see," he said. "It was yellow, that's all I could see. I saw the flames and I knew we had to get out of there and we had to get out of there fast." Champlin added his survival instincts kicked in. "A lot of people say, 'My life flashed before my eyes'," he explained about near-death situations. "It happened so fast, it's like, 'Oh we got to go'. Just got out of there as fast as I could." Even though Champlin wasn't severely injured his mother, Jackie, still had a hard time. "We were shocked when we saw him, because he was all swollen and red, and he was out of it," she said. "It's hard seeing him (in the hospital), I had to do everything I had to do not to cry in front of him." Jackie is now counting her blessings.
"It's a Christmas miracle," she said. "God saved him and (the other driver) and I can't ask for anything more. (Greg's) our miracle, he's our biggest present this year." Champlin is also grateful for his unexpected gift. "It's a totally different outlook on life, let me tell you. That could have been the end right there," he said. "Very thankful I have my family and still be alive." Champlin was treated at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital and he thanks everyone there for the excellent care he received. While he wasn't badly injured in the blast, Champlin will undergo breathing treatment therapy for the fumes he inhaled. Meanwhile, investigators are still trying to determine what sparked the explosion
