The June 21 blaze at a Philadelphia refinery was likely caused by a faulty pipe, according to a preliminary report.
The June 21 blaze at a Philadelphia refinery was likely caused by a faulty pipe, according to a preliminary report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.The refinery closed shortly after the fire, and Philadelphia Energy Solutions filed for bankruptcy in July.The June 21 fire at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refining complex was likely caused by a faulty pipe, aThe fire, which raged for more than 24 hours, released 5,239 pounds of deadly chemicals into the air.
The blaze broke out early in the morning on June 21st when an elbow pipe most likely failed, allowing flammable fluid containing propane and other chemicals to escape. The leaking fluid quickly turned into a vapor cloud, which ignited shortly thereafter. As the fire raged, at 4:15 a.m. the first of three explosions occurred. The second was four minutes later, and the third, which was by far the most powerful, occurred at 4:22 a.m.
During the last and greatest explosion, a vessel within a unit containing highly flammable hydrocarbons ruptured, hurling fragments into the air. The blast was so powerful that a 38,000 pound barrel was launched 2,100 feet across the Schuylkill river, where it landed on the opposite bank. Based on stamp marks found on the faulty piping, investigators estimate that it was installed around 1973. The elbow pipe that likely started the fire was so worn down that it was just 0.012 inches thick. As the report noted, this is about half the thickness of a credit card.
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