----------------------------------------------

An oil field exploded in Basra Iraq [Iraq Oil Report ; Published September 20, 2011]; Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

----------------------------------------------

List of comment about gas explosion, in order of posted time; as of 2011-09-01

 

1) SOMERVILLE, Ohio, US; "Investigation continues in house collapse"

2) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. US; "Bakersfield resident hurt in natural gas explosion"

3) Pompton Lakes, NJ, US; "Update: Suspected gas explosion levels home in Pompton Lakes [raw video]"

4) Brantford, Ontario, Canada; "Natural gas explosion levelled Brantford house: fire marshal"

5) Warren, MI, US; "City of Warren Home Explosion Underscores Need for Natural Gas Safety"

6) Castleford, West Yorkshire, UK; "Dramatic footage shows huge gas explosion at Yorkshire home"

7) Warren Park, Harare, Zimbabwe; "2 seriously injured in Warren Park gas explosion"

8) Logan City, south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia; "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house"

9) Herscher, IL, US; Douglasville, GA, US; "This Week In Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions – Aug. 22, 2011"

10) "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house" [See 8)]

11) Lakeview, MI, US; "Explosion inside Lakeview house causes fire, couple escapes with minor injuries"

12) Newborough, Victoria, Australia; "Gas blast destroys Newborough garage"

13) Cato, Montcalm, MI, US; "Couple escapes house explosion"

14) Glenrock, Converse, WY, US; "Oilfield explosion claims three"

15) St. Augustine, Fla, US; "Gas Station Explosion Site in St. Augustine now 'Stable'"

 

----------------------------------------------

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

We'll be seeing an uptick in unusual home and business gas explosions and I'm trying to locate specific ZT on the matter.  Below is a refresher for the many gas related news articles.

http://zetatalk5.com/index/blog0214.htm

SOZT

Fault lines, when adjusting, do not just rip apart one day during a dramatic earthquake. They most often creep. Laying gas lines along or across a fault line is asking for an accident of this sort. Fault lines are also seldom so clearly delineated that one can go a mile in this or that direction and avoid their action. Where a slip-slide fault such as the San Andreas will often leave a clear line on the surface, this is only the surface action, not what occurs in the rock layers on either side which can fracture for a long way to either side during any movement. The gas company, or the age of the pipes, will be faulted but in truth the finger should be pointed in many directions. The public, who insist on living at such a scenic spot, is to blame. Officials, who zoned for housing are to blame. The public utility company, for allowing gas lines in the area, is to blame. But this will change nothing, while man continues to live on the San Andreas, even as it awakens. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/18sp2010.htm

SOZT

The danger from radon gas will not be increased as a result of the pole shift. Radon gas is emitted by rock containing uranium, which is degrading. In normal circumstances, where air can circulate, it is disbursed rapidly as is any methane created by decay of organic material. The danger from these gasses comes from confinement - being trapped in a mine, a basement, or beneath the permafrost. The dangers are well known. For methane, it is explosions. An accumulation of methane gas can be identified by the smell of rotten eggs, or as some have described it, dirty socks or cabbage soup. For radon gas the danger is lung cancer, from the continual exposure to the radioactive air. Radon gas is odorless, and cannot be detected except by specialized equipment not in the hands of the average person.

In that the pole shift, or the Earth changes preceding the pole shift, can fracture rock and release pockets of either gas, survivors should be cautious about huddling in bunkers. You are safer out in the open air, or in a trench you have dug that will allow the pole shift winds to pass over you, but nothing to fall on and crush you. The fact that both methane gas and radon gas can accumulate in the bunkers of the elite is one of the reasons we have stated that they have dug their own graves. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/12mr2011.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT

Anyone watching the news, for instance the news on the San Bruno explosion in a distribution line close to the San Andreas Fault line, knows that gas in any form is a danger. Oil and gas refineries explode when rigid piping cracks. Oil or gas wells explode when the ground around them moves. And the gas distribution lines running under cities are no exception. They likewise will explode. Gas lines, whether along the street or within a home, are rigid. In some cases automatic shutoff valves can limit the amount of gas available for an explosion by sensing a drop in pressure, but this is always after the fact. The explosion has already occurred. Utilizing gas on a planet prone to earthquakes was a mistake to begin with, but man never thinks of the consequences when striving for modern conveniences. We have advised turning off the gas at the street, though when the street explodes and your neighbor's homes are on fire you are not likely to escape the holocaust. A better alternative is to live in an area where gas is not available, as in your rural safe location where you will be doing a form of camping while gardening. A campfire at night, for cooking and washing and a bit of friendly light before bed. Nothing explosive. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/02oc2010.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT Answer: It is no accident that the New Madrid fault lies under the Mississippi River near Memphis, as rivers form in lowlands created when land pulls apart, separating the rock fingers and weakening support for the land. Thus, the Ohio River bed also is an indication of where rock fingers will pull apart. Two adjustments in Kentucky, a day apart, are not an accident, but an indication of the speed at which the stretch zone is starting to adjust. Rail lines are frequently an early harbinger of such adjustments, as they run long distances, whereas structures within cities, such as tall buildings, take up relatively little space and have a small footprint. Our warning that imploding cities will be experienced, before the hour of the shift, are in this regard. Be warmed, it will not just be your rail lines and gas and water mains that will shatter and be pulled apart during the stretch. The foundations of your tall buildings will likewise be vulnerable.EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/newsletr/issue008.htm

----------------------------------------------

[Original post on January 20, 2011]

Original title: Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/19/pennsylvania.gas.explosion/index.h...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • The explosion occurred in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood
  • The blast killed one utilities worker and injured five other people
  • Some of the injuries are serious

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"They were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-explosion-philadelphia-...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-gas-main-explodes-126...

Views: 109248

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Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 24, 2012 at 11:38pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19364696

Homes evacuated after Radcliffe explosion

Sixty firefighters were dealing with the fire at its height. Video courtesy of Simon Conway

About 100 homes had to be evacuated after a large fire and explosion at a disused industrial building in Greater Manchester.

Fire crews were called at 21:45 BST on Thursday after reports of smoke in Bury Road, Radcliffe.

During the fire's early stages, an explosion was reported after a gas main ignited and caused part of the building to collapse.

Residents in about 20 properties are still waiting to return to their homes.

Fire crews worked with National Grid to safely isolate the gas pipe.

Sixty firefighters were dealing with the disused factory fire at its height.

Start Quote

We heard all these bangs going off like fireworks”

Hannah Ross Resident

Residents were relocated to an emergency rest centre set up by police and Bury Council.

A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said there had been no reports of anyone being missing or injured.

He said: "There was a small explosion, enough to cause some damage to the building.

"Crews are now damping down the scene and allowing residents to return to their homes wherever possible."

The residents waiting to return to their homes are from properties directly facing the fire, with fire crews expected to remain at the scene until Friday night.

One witness described it as a "massive explosion... just like a film".

'Massive explosion'

The fire in the building measuring about 120m (400ft) by 80m (250ft) was brought under control in the early hours of Friday.

Hannah Ross, one of those evacuated from flats nearby, said: "I was at home with my boyfriend when we heard all these bangs going off like fireworks.

Scene of fire in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester pic from @manchesterfire Fire crews were expected to remain at the scene until Friday night

"We looked out at the factory behind the flats and saw a massive fire - it was biggest fire I've ever seen, covering the whole factory.

"We went downstairs and outside. People were talking about their cars getting hot because of the fire."

She said they were asked to leave the building by police.

"Later there was a massive explosion - and everyone jumped, just like a film," said Ms Ross.

Greater Manchester Police said a joint fire service and police investigation into the cause of the fire was taking place.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 20, 2012 at 11:43pm

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Propane-explosion-damages-Was...

Propane explosion damages Washington Town Hall

Updated 9:54 p.m., Sunday, August 19, 2012

WASHINGTON -- Officials said the hope to reopen Bryan Memorial Town Hall In Washington Depot on Monday after an explosion caused by a gas leaking from a propane tank that was damaged when a car drove over it early Sunday.

Washington Fire Chief Mark Showalter said several firefighters escaped serious injury when the vapor cloud that infiltrated the building ignited just before they entered the basement to turn off an emergency generator prior to cutting power to the town hall.

The explosion blew out at least a half-dozen of the large, original, arched windows and caused an undetermined amount of internal damage to the stately, Depression-era structure, officials said.

Showalter said a fire did not erupt.

First Selectman Mark Lyon said the leak was triggered about 1 a.m. Sunday when a catering company worker drove over a filler pipe for the 1,000-gallon tank buried in the lawn while cleaning up after a wedding.

The tank, which supplies an emergency generator, immediately began leaking and gas quickly entered the building through open doors and windows, Lyon said.

Lyon said the driver, whose name wasn't available Sunday evening, had the "presence of mind" to set off a fire alarm outside the building and get other catering employees out of the building before firefighters arrived.

A heavy cloud of gas settled over the low-lying area off Route 109 and firefighters wanted Connecticut Light & Power to cut the electricity supply to reduce chances for a blast, Showalter said.

But first, it was necessary to enter the building and switch off the generator, which is designed to start automatically when the power goes off, he said.

Firefighters were about to go in when "something in the boiler room" apparently sparked the explosion, he said.

Firefighters from several area departments, including Sharon, Cornwall and Northville, responded to the mutual-aid call, but because the car remained stuck on the pipe, they were unable to move it and cap the tank, Lyon said.

For hours, all they could do was cordon off the building at the intersection of Route 109 and Bryan Memorial Plaza, and direct a heavy mist of water from a fire hose to disperse the gas, Showalter said.

About 1 p.m., the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection dispatched a contractor with expertise in controlling propane leaks. He formulated a plan by which firefighters, working under a heavy spray of water, would use a bucket loader to lift the car off the pipe while he installed a valve that would allow the tank to be emptied by a controlled burn-off, Showalter said.

By 4 p.m., the last of the gas was gone. Firefighters cleared the scene some 30 minutes later.

Lyon said state and local fire marshals were still at town hall early Sunday evening trying to determine what caused the explosion. The town's building official has inspected the building and pronounced it "structurally sound," he said.

Power to the area around town hall has been restored, although the building itself remains without electricity.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to get in there Monday morning and get it open sometime during the day," Lyon said.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 15, 2012 at 5:43am

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018914980_apusbu...

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 10:29 AM

Child dies as blast levels house in NY suburb

An apparent gas-related explosion destroyed a house in a Long Island suburb of New York City on Tuesday, killing a toddler and sending 14 other people to hospitals.

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. —

An apparent gas-related explosion destroyed a house in a Long Island suburb of New York City on Tuesday, killing a toddler and sending 14 other people to hospitals.

Surrounding houses in the middle class neighborhood also were damaged by the blast, which occurred just before noon.

The entire structure of the house - situated on a block of well-kept, modest homes near a public golf course in this ethnically diverse middle class suburb - was reduced to small shards of wood, plywood, drywall, insulation and other building material. The air conditioners in one neighbor's home were blown out and a window was knocked out of its casing.

Sitting atop the pile of rubble was a child's bunk bed. Clothing from the house could be seen on the other side of a neighbor's house hanging 30 feet in the air from a tree.

"Clearly, this was a powerful explosion," said Suffolk County Police Department Deputy Chief John Meehan. He added that it didn't seem like the residents had much warning that it was coming. "We don't believe the occupants had any sense they were in danger," he said.

Brentwood Fire Department Inspector Robert Kuehn said the initial investigation indicated the explosion "could be gas-related." A police official said there were two, 200-pound propane gas tanks on the premises, but that no natural gas lines were present on the block.

"Everything shook," said Dave Grant, who heard the explosion and raced about seven blocks to the scene. When he arrived, he smelled gas and heard a policewoman yelling, "We need help! We need help!"

He saw other officers holding up part of the roof and said, "I just dove in to help."

"We just grabbed one guy in there," said Grant. "They lifted that roof up to get the guy out."

An 18-month-old boy, who was pulled from the rubble and rushed to the hospital, died. Residents, neighbors, a plumber and rescuers were among those who were hurt or suffered from smoke inhalation.

Three of the injured had been inside the house and were in serious condition. Authorities said they did not know if they owned the house or were renters.

Anthony Acevedo, 16, who lives up the street, said he was working on his computer just before noon.

"I heard a huge explosion, just like `boom,' and like the house shook," he said. "Things were falling off the walls. I thought a tree had fallen on our house. The neighbor up the street was yelling `they need help, they need help,' so I quickly ran to call 911. One guy came out, he was just all burned; his clothes were ripped. Then they got a girl out and she kept screaming, `Oh my God, my baby's in there; get my baby out.'"

Authorities did not immediately identify the victims.

Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick, chief of the Suffolk County homicide squad, said it will take some time to determine the exact cause. "We'll be here all night," he said.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 13, 2012 at 7:15pm

As this is a serious situation with mandatory evacuations, I thought it neccessary to post here.  It's a wait and see game with devastating consequences.  The people who refuse to leave are being contacted by police to collect their next of kin information.

http://www.examiner.com/article/sinkhole-h-bomb-explosion-equivalen...

The White House remains silent on the situation

Potential butane explosive capacity calculated

The 1.5 million barrels of liquid butane 1500 feet from the sinkhole has an explosive capacity of 100 Hiroshima nuclear bombs, 1.5 times the explosive force of the largest thermonuclear weapon in current service in the U.S., according to Wikipedia scientific data and popular citizen reporter, Dutchsince, and confirmed by Dupré's sources this weekend.

Excluding secondary oil and gas pipeline and refinery explosions, direct effects of such a single bomb blast in Bayou Corne, fifty miles from Baton Rouge, would include Donaldsonville, Louisiana, according to NUKEMAP simulations showing an H-bomb this size would produce:

"Fire-ball radius: (central orange circle): 0.62 km / 0.39 mi. Maximum size of the nuclear fireball; relevance to lived effects depends on height of detonation.

"Air blast radius: 3.8 km / 2.1 mi (red shaded circle) 20 psi overpressure; heavily built concrete buildings are severely damaged or demolished; fatalities approach 100%

"Air blast radius: 8.93 km / 5.55 mi (gray shaded circle) 4.6 psi overpressure; most buildings collapse; injuries universal, fatalities widespread.

"Thermal radiation radius: 15.18 km / 9.43 mi (outer orange shaded circle) Third-degree burns to all exposed skin; starts fires in flammable materials, contributes to firestorm if large enough."

Note: Butane explosion effects would differ from H-bomb effects two ways: 1) It would take much longer and have insignificant radiation damage; 2) Temperatures reached would be lower, so the fireball, thermal radiation, and air blast radii would be smaller, but all three longer-lasting.

Breathing butane is hazardous. In the unlikely case that the butane was released but not ignited, Wikipedia explains butane properties as: “Inhalation of butane can cause euphoria, drowsiness, narcosis, asphyxia, cardiac arrhythmia, temporary memory loss and frostbite, which can result in death from asphyxiation and ventricular fibrillation.

Government and non-government organizations have different speculations about disaster source

Friday, Louisiana State Police, Assumption Parish Police Jury, and Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office leaders spoke in Pierre Part about the Bayou Corne area disaster, saying they don't know its cause that has resulted in evacuees unable to return home for at least another month.

Officials uncertain what caused the sinkhole suspect Texas Brine Company LLC's salt cavern. Dr. Madhurendu Kumar, DNR director of the state's oil and gas division, said the sinkhole could have been caused by structural problems in Texas Brine's salt dome beneath it.

“The wall of salt between the brine cavern and the salt dome might be thinner than experts were led to believe," Kumar said, according to Associated Press.

As government officials continue focusing on the brine cavern and sinkhole, non-government environmentalists and human rights defenders say the disaster root is neither cavern or sinkhole.

LEAN explained late last week why they believe Texas Brine's salt cavern near the sinkhole is not the source of the problem that has caused gas bubbles percolate in the swampland and bayous for over two months.

USGS maps show extra movement and stress from oil and gas operations are susceptible to present pressure of a series of earthquakes west of Louisiana, each being where fracking and frack waste injection storage are ongoing.

(Watch "8/11/2012 -- Louisiana Sink Hole Explained -- POSSIBLE HUGE CATASTROPHE -- 100 Hiroshimas" YouTube video by Dutchsinse embedded on the left of this page.)

"This is extremely serious," Kim Torres, spokeswoman for the Office of Emergency Preparedness, told ABCNews.com Friday. "The people are very aware of how serious this is."

Among the majority of residents worrying but choosing to not abide by the mandatory evacuation orders, local resident Mr. Landry told CNN Friday, “We kind of feel that if something drastic were to happen, we could jump in a car and get out of here."

The White House has remained silent about Louisiana's most recent oil and gas disaster.

Paul Brown, Ph.D., contributed to this article.

Other sources: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, Dutchsince, Nukemap, Examiner.com

See related articles by this author:

Sinkhole: DNR alerted weeks ago, could have been prevented, company says

Gov. Jindal’s DNR official resigns amid Sinkhole Disaster, State of Emergency

Sinkhole cavern is not gas bubbles source, environmentalists say

DNR demands Texas Brine drill near sinkhole, Again promises to come clean

Bayou Corne sinkhole 10 to 20 feet larger, 'No natural radioactive ...

Explosion monitor in Bayou Corne sinkhole area 'goes off'

Bayou Sinkhole: Radioactive dome issues covered up over a year

Swamp's seismic sinkhole shifts Chevron: Shuts pipelines, Draws dow...

Sinkhole meeting: DEQ tells Cajun evacuees, ‘No cause for alarm’

Sinkhole methane bubbles now 'more prolific'

Sinkhole: Now 372 feet diameter, Only 1500 feet from butane-filled ...

Bayou sinkhole 380 feet deep: Mandatory evacuation remains, anxiety...

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 13, 2012 at 7:08pm

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/08/13/Chinese-gas-blast...

Chinese gas blast kills one, hurts nine

Published: Aug. 13, 2012 at 8:49 AM

NANJING, China, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- An explosion caused by leaking natural gas killed one person and injured nine in a two-story residential building in a Chinese village, authorities said.

Four of the victims were reported in critical condition.

The building in Xi'nan in the eastern province of Jiangsu was destroyed and some of its residents were buried in the rubble, rescuers said.

The blast was blamed on a leak in a bottle of liquefied natural gas, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 12, 2012 at 11:40pm

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/explosion-at-a-cambridge-gas-station-1....

Canada

Explosion at a Cambridge gas station

CTV Kitchener
Published Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012 4:45PM EDT
Last Updated Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012 4:46PM EDT

Several businesses in Cambridge were evacuated after an underground explosion at a Cango Gas station near Eagle Street and Speedsville Road early Sunday morning.

An attendant turned on the power and there was an explosion. The gas pumps caught fire and a concrete slab shot up from underneath the station’s kiosk.

Officials say the attendant was not injured while trying to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.

The Cambridge Fire department and the Ontario Fire Marshal are investigating for a possible cause and have evacuated several businesses next door as a precaution.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 11, 2012 at 8:12pm

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/oman/eight-injured-in-oman-gas-explos...

Eight injured in Oman gas explosion

Walls ripped apart and several vehicles damaged due to explosion in Baushar

  • Image Credit:
  • Caption: Leakage in centralised piped gas supply at Muscat Oasis ripped open a number of apartments on two floors today morning.

Muscat: Eight people were injured when leak in a centralised piped gas supply caused a massive explosion at an upscale residential complex in Baushar suburb of Muscat Saturday morning. One of the injured, Vivek Bhatnagar, senior Assistant general Manager Human Resources with Bahwan Engineering Company, was admitted to the burns unit of Khoula Hospital with 30 per cent burns. The other seven injured with moderate to serious injuries were also admitted to the same hospital.

“At around 9am we heard a loud bang,” a resident of Muscat Oasis, where the explosion took place, told Gulf News on the condition of not being named. According to him walls of the first floor as well as the second floor were ripped apart. “I believe one of the columns was also damaged in the explosion,” he said, adding that the explosion was very loud and shook nearby building also.

Muscat Oasis is one of the most luxurious residential apartment compounds in Muscat. “It seems that one of the apartment blocks was locked and neighbours complained about gas smell,” added the resident, who has lived in the compound for more than five years.

According to him the leaked gas exploded as soon as three staff members of Muscat Oasis opened the door of the locked flat in the morning after complaints from neighbours. The explosion also badly damaged the compound’s sewage. The walls caved in on two floors and several vehicles were badly damaged. A spokesperson for the Royal Oman Police (ROP) told Gulf News that the explosion was severe and it was a miracle that there were no fatalities. Four of the Muscat Oasis staff members were among those injured and were rushed to the hospital by the ROP’s Civil Defence teams. A resident pointed out that in his last six-year stay at the compound he had not come across any checks on the centralised gas connections at his apartment. According to another resident of the apartments, most of the flats were vacant due to summer vacation in schools as residents are away on holidays. “Otherwise the injuries could have been more,” he added.

The police with sniffer dogs rushed to the spot to thoroughly check the damaged parts of the building that looked like ruins.

“We urge all citizens and residents to carry out maintenance of gas facilities and take extreme care while dealing with the gas supply or storage facilities,” the ROP spokesperson said.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 7, 2012 at 5:13pm

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142076

2 Critical after Gas Station Blast in Bulgaria

August 7, 2012, Tuesday

A gas tank exploded in a busy district of Bulgaria's northeastern city of Razgrad Monday afternoon. Photo by DarikNews

Five people were injured when a tank loaded with fuel exploded at a gas station in the northeastern Bulgaria city of Razgrad late Monday afternoon.

Two of the injured, a driver from the city of Stara Zagora, 38, and a man from Razgrad, 48, have sustained severe burns and are listed in critical condition in the hospital of the Danube city of Ruse. Their state does not allow for them to be transported to the capital Sofia.

Three other men, of the total of seven people at the gas station at the time of the incident, have sustained lighter injuries, such as light burns and a broken ankle. One of them is the manager of the station.

The call was placed on the 112 emergency hotline after 5:15 pm. People who were in the vicinity at the time say that they heard a loud bang. Nearby offices and stores were evacuated.

The fire was tamed close to midnight. A fire truck remains on the spot Tuesday still cooling down the tank.

Air probes have not revealed increased amount of harmful substances.

The station is the only one in the city providing household gas and is located in a busy district with two gasoline fuel stations, the central bus station, the local college and several large stores nearby.

The initial lead is that the explosion was sparked when gas has been loaded from the tank of a truck to the gas column at the station.

Comment by Dee Nguyen on August 7, 2012 at 3:45pm

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Fire-at-Chevron-refinery-in-R...

Fire at Chevron refinery in Richmond

Thousands of East Bay residents were ordered to stay in their homes with the windows and doors closed Monday night after a series of explosions and fires tore through Chevron's Richmond refinery.

The explosions started about 6:15 p.m., and at least two large fires spewed thick, black smoke into the darkening sky.

The fire started at the refinery's No. 4 Crude Unit, Chevron officials said. Just before 6:30 p.m., an inspection crew discovered that there was a diesel leak in a line in the unit - and that the leak was growing.

Shortly after the crew evacuated the area, the diesel ignited, said Nigel Hearne, manager of the refinery.

All employees had been accounted for and there were no fatalities, but one refinery worker suffered burns to his wrist and was treated at the on-site clinic.

About five minutes after the explosions, sirens tore through the air, alerting residents to stay indoors to prevent breathing tainted air. Some people got in their cars and drove away from the smoke that spread throughout the neighborhoods east of the refinery.

"Everybody evacuated so fast people's car alarms were going off," said Sara Monares, 55, who lives a short distance from the refinery.

Health officials' main concern was fumes from crude oil and diesel fuel, but winds were carrying the smoke and pollutants skyward, said Maria Duazo, a hazardous materials specialist with the Contra Costa County Health Services Department.

A shelter-in-place warning was issued for Richmond, North Richmond and San Pablo and remained in effect late Monday. An advisory for those with lung conditions or a sensitivity to smoke to stay indoors was expanded to all of Contra Costa County. Residents as far away as the Oakland hills were being warned by police about smoke heading that way.

Air samples taken

As the smoke stretched out over the El Cerrito hills, Contra Costa County hazardous materials units rolled through the neighborhoods, taking air samples.

Trisha Asuncion, hazardous materials specialist with Contra Costa County, said that no hazardous compounds had been detected in the air, but that monitoring would continue.

Kaiser's Richmond Medical Center said several dozen people came to the emergency room Monday night complaining of shortness of breath, but none was seriously ill.

Julius Bailey, 21, who lives on Barrett Avenue in Richmond, blocks away from the refinery, was at the hospital wearing a face mask. He said his throat had started burning and his eyes itching. After seeing a doctor, he said, "They told me I'm not going to die, but it sure feels pretty serious."

BART closed the Richmond, El Cerrito del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza stations at about 7 p.m., and shut down service between Richmond and El Cerrito and Richmond and North Berkeley about 30 minutes later. Only the Richmond Station remained closed late Monday.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on August 3, 2012 at 8:00pm

Gas main explodes in Lafayette

http://www.purdueexponent.org/city/article_4b5ae1a6-dcda-11e1-bda5-...

Posted: Thursday, August 2, 2012 3:43 pm | Updated: 6:08 pm, Thu Aug 2, 2012.

A small gas explosion occurred at approximately 2:00 p.m. Thursday, on 500 North Third Street in Lafayette.

Fire crews responded to the scene and learned that nearby construction hit a gas line which caused an explosion in a small storage property owned by the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation.

Lafayette fire inspector Gary Bennett said the damage was minor and that nobody was injured.

"The electrical conduit or gas line might was compromised inside the building," Bennett said. "That line was damaged and that's when the fire started."

The windows shattered leaving glass and debris on the sidewalk, but Bennett said the accident only caused about $1,000 worth of damage. Other nearby buildings were inspected and no gas leaks were found, he said.

Stan Lambert, executive director of the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation, said the group purchased the building from the Dodds Paint Company in 2010 as part of the Wabash River enhancement project. The property is being used for file storage as of now and he's just happy nobody was around.

"No one was here, no one was hurt," Lambert said. "We're very fortunate.

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