My Dad worked at this refinery for 40 years, delivering gas by tanker truck throughout the Phila area. This isn’t the first massive fire at this facility. There was a worse fire during the 1970s that was so hot, it melted the Platt Bridge and closed it for months. When they thought it was under control, Mayor Rizzo went to the scene for a photo-op to be seen as proactive politician. Suddenly the fire flared up not far from where Rizzo was standing. His 300 pound black bodyguard reacted by knocking Rizzo over in his haste to get out of there and broke Rizzo’s hip.
Update (7:25 am ET): The refinery fire is confined and being addressed, but is not yet under control, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Fire Department said Friday.
Though shelter in place orders for the area around the refinery have been lifted.
A massive fire has erupted at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in Southwest Philadelphia, the oldest continuously operated refinery on the East Coast, shaking nearby homes and sending clouds of thick smoke into the air. An explosion that started the fire could reportedly be heard all the way in South Jersey.
Some residents in Philly told local TV news that the explosions knocked art off their wall, according to NBC 10. The fire, which has been burning since 4 am, was said to be contained as of 6 am.
Roads in the area have been closed to allow first responders space to work and protect drivers. That includes the ramps from Interstate 76 to South Philadelphia. The Platt Bridge reopened just before 6 am.
One passer-by said they were on I-95 when the explosion happened: “Could feel the heat right through the car,” the individual said on social media. Some homeowners who live near the refinery said debris from the blasts rained down on their homes. A cloud of thick black smoke blanketed Center City and South Philly.
In addition to being the oldest, it is also the largest refinery complex on the East Coast. It employs about 1,000 people. Many in the city still call it the Sunoco refinery, though it is now owned by Philadelphia Energy Solutions, a partnership that includes Sunoco.
Analysts said the incident could impact supplies of gasoline and jet fuel: two products that are processed at the refinery.
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The Democrats up there, who apparently are as plentiful as bird shit, will demand that the oil refinery now be shut down, and then will bitch about how they are controlled by the oil companies. Of course, someone will say how the location of the refinery is racist and all of the blacks who live in that grimy part of town will chime in, demand that it be shut down, and then claim they are due reparations from the refinery because their houses aren’t worth much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Philadelphia_Gulf_refinery_fire
I wonder if this is payback for the billion dollar cocaine seizure.
Was there last year with a load . Interesting place after you learn how to get around. They had better repair and use what they have as another refinery will be never build. Just think of all the regulations ,permits , licensing ,restrictions ,and the never ending legal action from environmental wackos with their law suits.
Refineries are considered “critical infrastructure”, are they not? Along with railroads, water systems, etc . . . interesting timing.
Anyway, Trump may have shown restraint re Iran but, hey, the gas is going up, regardless.
California refineries make all of the state’s gas because of the unique formulations required by the greenie commisars in Sacramento. Every time there’s a puff of smoke from one of our refineries gas immediately goes up 25 cents.
Bwahahababa,
Is that a true story?
“His 300 pound black bodyguard reacted by knocking Rizzo over in his haste to get out of there and broke Rizzo’s hip.”
True
That’s pretty damn funny. When TSHTF the protectors will simply cover their own asses and possibly hurt the ones they’re supposed to protect. Grest stuff.
Something else to Celebrate on the Summer Solstice! 🙂
RE
This is why you should build refineries in the middle of large coastal cities where all the people live. If the refinery was located in the neighborhood that Admin drives through when the Schuylkill is plugged up, Philly would be a much better place today.
Headline should read: Refinery Explosion Causes Major Improvements In South Philly
Another way to cause inflation. Take our half century aged refineries and dont maintain them, upgrade them and then just burn them until we have a smaller refining capacity where demand outstrips supply. Wow this govt must be in serious peril
Fire Dept pissed at benefit cuts and failed pay raises.
Or terrorism, perhaps real terrorsim instead of scripted.
We have one of these about every 15 months her in SoCal, just to juice the price of petrol.