2009 Cataño oil refinery fire

Explosion and fire in Bayamón, Puerto Rico October 2026 February 2025 CAPECO explosion 250px Caribbean Petroleum Corporation Disaster 2.jpg Aerial view of the fire and the resulting smoke cloud 2009 10 23 12:23am (AST) Caribbean Petroleum Corporation oil refinery and oil depotBayamón, Puerto Rico 18.4165 -66.1316 region:PR_type:event inline,title CAPECO explosion Malfunctioning tank fuel gauge 0 3 Several buildings and oil tanks damaged The 2009 Cataño oil refinery fire, also known as the CAPECO explosion, was a fire that began with an explosion on October 23, 2009, and was extinguished on October 25 at the Caribbean Petroleum Corporation (CAPECO) oil refinery and oil depot in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.Evacuation from Puerto Rico fire http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8323569.stm BBC News 2009-10-24 2009-10-25 While the fire and subsequent explosion occurred close to the city of Cataño, it technically occurred within the borders of Bayamón, even though Cataño was more affected by fumes and evacuation. There were no fatalities, but three people were injured. Event thumb|A picture taken minutes after the explosion from Río Piedras The explosion destroyed eleven storage tanks and spread to others, generating a blast equal to a 2.8-magnitude earthquake. The 12:23 a.m. blast was heard 11 miles away and shook windows over 2 miles away. Flames reached 100 feet above the refinery. It released 30 e6USgal of petroleum into San Juan Bay and wetlands, killing wildlife, including protected species. Environmental damage was severe, with millions in losses to nearby communities. About 600 people sought shelter.EJOLT CAPECO disaster, Puerto Rico EJAtlas https://ejatlas.org/conflict/capeco-caribbean-petroleum-company 2020-04-22 Environmental Justice Atlas en Five workers escaped. Several drivers were injured by shattered glass, two people sustained minor injuries at Fort Buchanan, and four others sought treatment for respiratory issues.U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD June 2015 Final Investigation Report. CARIBBEAN PETROLEUM TANK TERMINAL EXPLOSION AND MULTIPLE TANK FIRES https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/17/06.09.2015_final_capeco_draft_report__for_board_vote.pdf?15462 April 22, 2020 CSB Initial Response thumb|left|Firefighter inside the Gulf explosion perimeter The call came to the Puerto Rico 9-1-1 office at 12:27 am. The Puerto Rico Fire Department stations of Bayamón and Cataño responded to the call once the tanks exploded. Later, due to the seriousness of the situation, PRFD had to make the decision to urgently call fire stations island-wide. Puerto Rico Police Department closed the De Diego Expressway due to the danger of the situation and a helicopter was patrolling the area. In less than one hour, firefighters from San Juan, Bayamón, Cataño, Toa Baja, Guaynabo, Carolina and Trujillo Alto responded to the urgent call. Other stations from other parts of Puerto Rico such as Ponce, Caguas, Arecibo, Humacao, and even Ft. Buchanan also responded to the scene. One hundred and thirty firefighters, with the support of the Puerto Rico National Guard, responded to the fire. Fifteen hundred residents were evacuated from four adjacent communities. Also, San Juan, Carolina and Bayamón city fire departments and the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport Crash and Rescue responded to the call. As a result of the smoke cloud, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration diverted plane traffic.Explosion rocks Gulf facility on Puerto Rico on NBC News; Associated Press (10/23/2009) thumb|Visible satellite image taken by NASA's Terra Satellite showing the large area covered by black smoke produced by the fire. To avoid further explosions, firefighters attempted to chill the remaining tanks to keep them from exploding. Also, dozens of fuel trucks were being moved from the area. Due to the smoke cloud, authorities evacuated several communities downwind from it, as well as 80 people living in a secure facility for Justice Department witnesses. Governor Luis Fortuño canceled classes at nearby schools as well.Puerto Rico explosion at Gulf gasoline plant creates massive cloud of toxic smoke on New York Daily News; Associated Press (October 23, 2009) Local Response thumb|Caribbean Gulf Petroleum Explosion from Baldrich, Hato Rey Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño declared a state of emergency, and activated the Puerto Rico National Guard to support firefighters and aid the injured. Also, schools in the San Juan Metro Area were cancelled for the day, and some schools near the explosion area were closed until 4 days after the explosion due to evacuations. Governmental Aid President Barack Obama separately declared a federal state of emergency in Puerto Rico, clearing the way for U.S. federal agencies to coordinate disaster relief and authorizing the use of federal funds.Andres Martinez Puerto Rico oil fire burns uncontrolled http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/10/25/Puerto-Rico-oil-fire-burns-uncontrolled/UPI-32951256472507/ United Press International 2009-10-25 2009-10-25 Fighting the fire has cost the local Puerto Rican government more than $6.4 million, as of October 25. The United States Army announced that the explosion and fire had closed nearby Fort Buchanan until further notice.Fort Buchanan remains closed due to the fire. http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=36642&ct_id=1&ct_name=1 Caribbean Business 2009-10-25 2009-10-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20110708121412/http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=36642&ct_id=1&ct_name=1 2011-07-08 usurped Authorities built a temporary pipe to San Juan Bay in order to bring seawater to extinguish the fire, but the fire was extinguished before it could be used. Winds shift as fire burns Puerto Rican oil depot https://www.reuters.com/article/us-puertorico-oil-fire-idUSTRE59N09N20091024 Reuters 2009-10-24 2009-10-25 Fire fighting foam was supplied from the nearby United States Virgin Islands. Luis Fortuño announced on October 25 that the fire had been extinguished,Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/puerto-rico-fire-extinguished,1012559.shtml https://archive.today/20130414203826/http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/puerto-rico-fire-extinguished,1012559.shtml dead 2013-04-14 Puerto Rico Fire Extinguished Earthtimes 2009-10-26 2009-10-26 and estimated the initial cost to fight the fire at $6.4 million.http://dailyme.com/story/2009102500003485/feds-probe-pr-fuel-depot-fire.html https://archive.today/20130120044607/http://dailyme.com/story/2009102500003485/feds-probe-pr-fuel-depot-fire.html dead 2013-01-20 Coto, Danila Feds probe cause of PR fuel depot fire 2009-10-25 2009-10-26 Associated Press Investigation 210px right Filling Blind (11:08), CSB Safety Video CSB Safety Video CSB 21 October 2015 http://www.csb.gov/caribbean-petroleum-refining-tank-explosion-and-fire/ 21 November 2016 On the days after the explosion, more than 60 agents from both the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were dispatched to the Caribbean Petroleum Corp. in Bayamón, just west of San Juan, to aid in the investigation, said ATF spokesman Marcial Orlando Felix. Several agents flew in from the U.S. Mainland. The Caribbean Petroleum Corporation supplies most of Puerto Rico's oil and gasoline, which is marketed under the Gulf Oil brand name, but only 10 percent is managed from this plant. Government officials said at the time that Puerto Rico had enough fuel and diesel to last for 24 days after the disaster.Andres Martinez Puerto Rico Has Fuel Supplies for 24 Days After Fire https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aB0Eiyuq49pY Bloomberg News 2009-10-23 2009-10-25 The morning after the explosion, police started investigating a graffiti found near the Minillas Tunnel in San Juan with the message: "Boom, fire, RIP, Gulf." However, the FBI later determined that they were not painted by anyone connected to the explosion.Puerto Rico fire linked to faulty gas tank monitoring system https://web.archive.org/web/20120322142416/http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-17/us/puerto.rico.fire.investigation_1_tank-farm-aboveground-tanks-storage-tank?_s=PM%3AUS March 22, 2012 on CNN (November 17, 2009) thumb|View of the damage caused to the vegetation and some of the tanks after the fire. On October 30, 2009, the director of the FBI in Puerto Rico, Luis Fraticelli, said that more than 240 investigators analyzed the explosion and did not find evidence it was intentional.https://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5jIeLYJ7oBWxogA2QU867XjKk-aEQ https://archive.today/20130124211907/http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5jIeLYJ7oBWxogA2QU867XjKk-aEQ dead January 24, 2013 Descartan el sabotaje como causa del incendio en la refinería Agecnia EFE es 2009-11-02Huelga UPR: Presidenta de los síndicos se reunió con jefe del FBI.(In Spanish. English title: "University of Puerto Rico Strike: The president of the university's board of trustees met with the Director of the FBI.") Joel Ortiz Rivera and Gloria Ruiz Kuilan. El Nuevo Dia. January 13, 2011. News Section. Accessed January 16, 2011.Puerto Rico’s October Revolution. https://web.archive.org/web/20090826152927/http://nylatinojournal.com/home/puerto_rico_x/history/puerto_rico_s_october_revolution.html 2009-08-26 Juan Antonio Ocasio Rivera. New York Latino Journal. Accessed January 16, 2011. Authorities continued to investigate whether negligence was involved. The next month, officials from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board announced that a malfunctioning tank fuel gauge led to the explosion. The faulty equipment prevented workers from noticing that one of the tanks was overflowing before the fuel vapors ignitedFaulty tank gauge led to Capeco explosion https://web.archive.org/web/20120328102340/http://www.prdailysun.com/index.php?page=news.article&id=1258514773 2012-03-28 on Puerto Rico Daily Sun (November 18, 2009)Capeco files for bankruptcy, blames PR explosion https://web.archive.org/web/20100826144551/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HIO1G89.htm August 26, 2010 on BloombergBusinessWeek (August 13, 2010) after coming into contact with electrical equipment. live https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/2Bn4Krb-HoI 2021-12-11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bn4Krb-HoI Excerpt from Upcoming CSB Safety Video "Filling Blind" YouTube Aftermath The day after the explosion, a lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court of San Juan against Caribbean Petroleum Corporation and MAPFRE Insurance Company. MAPFRE was later removed from the lawsuit. The action was filed by lawyers John Navares, Camilo Salas, and Daniel Becnel.First Lawsuit Hits Over Friday's Explosion in P.R. on The Wall Street Journal Blogs; Jones, Ashby (October 23, 2009) On December 11, 2009, a third joint lawsuit was presented against Caribbean Petroleum Corp. by 1,000 defendants seeking $500 million in damages.Caribbean Petroleum Corporation slapped with third suit https://web.archive.org/web/20110629110227/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Carib-petrol 2011-06-29 on Jamaica Observer (December 11, 2009)Legal Action Taken Against the Caribbean Petroleum Company on RepeatingIslands; Romero, Ivette (December 12, 2009) In August 2010, Caribbean Petroleum Corporation filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11. The company cited debts of $500 million to $1 billion, against assets of $100 million to $500 million, according to the filing. The filing came after the company failed to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders to clean the site of the explosion. Caribbean Petroleum claimed their financial situation prevented them from doing the work, and EPA took over the cleaning process.Caribbean Petroleum Seeks Bankruptcy Protection After Harbor Explosion on Bloomberg.com; Schneider, Joe (August 13, 2010)Caribbean Petroleum Files for Bankruptcy Following Explosion at Petroleum Tank Farm on Delaware Bankruptcy Litigation; Cornell, Jason (August 16, 2010) See also Dupont Plaza Hotel arson Humberto Vidal explosion Morris J. Berman oil spill References External links Summary Report from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) 41QMaJqxqIo CSB video presentation on the fire Caribbean Business: Feds launch probe of fuel depot fire CNN article on fire and possibly related "Boom, fire, RIP, Gulf, Soul, ACNF." graffiti Category:2009 fires in the United States Category:2009 in Puerto Rico Category:2009 industrial disasters Category:Cataño, Puerto Rico Category:Fires in Puerto Rico Category:History of the petroleum industry Category:Industrial fires and explosions in the United States Category:October 2009 in North America Category:Petroleum in Puerto Rico Category:Explosions in Puerto Rico