Today in Fire History 10/23
On 10/23/1989 the Phillips Petroleum plant in Pasadena, Texas explosion and fire killed twenty-three employees and 314 injured. The initial explosion and fire ripped through the Phillips 66 Company's Houston Chemical Complex and registered 3.5 on the Richter Scale. Taking 10 hours to bring under control; the facility produced approximately 1.5 billion pounds per year of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a plastic material used to make milk bottles and other containers; loss estimated at $1,113 million. “At approximately 1:05 p.m., a series of explosions occurred at Phillips Petroleum Company's Houston Chemical Complex in Pasadena, Texas, near the Houston Ship Channel. The initial explosion was found to have resulted from a release of extremely flammable process gasses used to produce high-density polyethylene. Approximately 1,500 people worked at the facility, including 905 company employees and approximately 600 daily contract employees, who were engaged primarily in regular maintenance activities and new plant construction. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Phillips Petroleum Company $5,666,200 and fined Fish Engineering and Construction, Inc., the maintenance contractor, $729,600. The accident resulted from a release of extremely flammable process gases that occurred during regular maintenance operations on one of the plant's polyethylene reactors. More than 85,000 pounds (39 tons) of highly flammable gases were released through an open valve almost instantaneously. During routine maintenance, isolation valves were closed and compressed air hoses that actuated them were physically disconnected as a safety measure. The air connections for opening and closing one valve were identical and had been improperly reversed. A vapor cloud formed and traveled rapidly through the polyethylene plant, within 90 to 120 seconds, the vapor cloud came into contact with an ignition source and exploded with the force of 2.4 tons of TNT. Ten to fifteen minutes later, a second explosion followed when? 20,000 U.S. gallons (76,000 L) isobutane storage tank failed, and the catastrophic failure of another polyethylene reactor, and finally by other explosions, probably about six in total. Efforts to battle the fire were hindered due to damaged water pipes for the fire hydrants from the blast when the first explosion occurred, some fire hydrants were sheared off at ground level by the blast. The shut-off valves which could have been used to prevent the loss of water from ruptured lines in the plant were out of reach in the burning wreckage. In addition, the regular-service fire-water pumps were disabled by the fire which destroyed their electrical power cables. Of the three backup diesel-operated fire pumps, one had been taken out of service, and one ran out of fuel in about an hour. Firefighting water was brought in by hoses laid to remote sources.? The fire was brought under control within about 10 hours as a result of the combined efforts of fire brigades from other nearby companies, local fire departments, and the Phillips Petroleum Company foam trucks and fire brigade.”
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On 10/23/2009 the Caribbean Petroleum Corporation oil storage facility on San Juan Bay (in Puerto Rico) fire started after an explosion around 12:30 a.m. at a refinery, gasoline warehouse, and distribution center owned by Gulf Oil; 11 of more than 30 tanks exploded; all the employees were safe. “The initial explosion destroyed eleven storage tanks at the facility, but quickly spread to other nearby tanks. The tanks contained gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. The resulting explosion was measured as equivalent to a 2.8-magnitude earthquake on the Richter magnitude scale. The tanks exploded at approximately 12:23 a.m. and could be heard in places as far away as Cidra, 11 miles away, and shook windows and doors over two miles away. At some point, the flames reached a height of 100 feet (30 m) above the refinery. The explosion caused 30 million US gallons of petroleum to be released into bodies of water and neighboring wetlands of San Juan Bay, resulting in dead wildlife and a major health impact on the population. The five workers that were present at the plant at the moment managed to escape in time. Several drivers were injured when the explosion shattered the glass in their cars, two people suffered minor injuries at the nearby Fort Buchanan of the U.S. Army, and four other people sought help for respiratory problems.”
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On 10/23/1924 a Richmond, Indiana firefighter “died from the injuries he sustained after a wall collapsed while he was operating at a fire at Earlham College.”
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On 10/23/1976 a Boston, Massachusetts firefighter died at a 3-alarm fire after a wall collapsed on him at a vacant factory at 22 Simmons Street, Roxbury. Seven other department members were also injured.
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On 10/23/2013 the Australian fire crisis threatened small towns around Sydney, hot weather and strong winds fanned fires in the Blue Mountains; around 60 fires continued to burn, and more than 200 homes were destroyed in NSW since October 17th.
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On 10/23/2009 in Mathias, West Virginia three people were killed in a house fire.
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On 10/23/1909 the University of Arkansas Physics Building was destroyed by fire in Jonesboro. “When first discovered the flames were shooting up from the basement, which contained a small amount of lumber and slate.”
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On 10/23/2016 a tour bus returning from a casino crashed into the rear of a semi-tractor trailer near Palm Springs, California. The motor vehicle crash killed thirteen and injured thirty-one. The 1996 MCI bus, operated by USA Holiday, was returning to Los Angeles from the Red Earth Casino near the Salton Sea, the accident happened at 5:17 a.m. on westbound Interstate 10, officials said.
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On 10/23/2002 about 50 Chechen rebels storm a Moscow theater, taking up to 700 people hostage during a sold-out performance of a popular musical. After a 57-hour standoff, Russian Special Forces raided the theater after pumping a powerful narcotic gas into the building; most of the guerrillas and 120 hostages were killed during the raid.
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On 10/23/1983 a suicide bomber drove a truck packed with explosives into the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. military personnel.
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On 10/23/1944 during World War II the Battle of Leyte Gulf began.
On 10/23/1937 in Mason City, Iowa ten died when a school bus was crushed by a train.
On 10/23/1921 the 1st Unknown Soldier was selected: “in the French town of Chalons-sur-Marne, an American officer selects the body of the first "Unknown Soldier" to be honored among the approximately 77,000 United States servicemen killed on the Western Front during World War I.”
On 10/23/42 BC Marcus Junius Brutus, a conspirator in the assassination of Julius Caesar committed suicide after his defeat at the second battle of Philippi.