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BP - Husky Oregon Chemical Release and Fire

At about 6:46 p.m. on September 20, 2022, an accidental release of flammable chemicals ignited, creating a fire that fatally injured two workers and resulted in substantial property damages at the BP-Husky refinery in Oregon, Ohio

On September 20, 2022, at approximately 6:09 p.m., flammable liquid naphtha began to fill a Fuel Gas Mix Drum (“Mix Drum”) at the BP-Husky Toledo Refinery. The liquid overflowed from the normally vapor-only Mix Drum, sending naphtha through vapor piping to various boilers and furnaces in the refinery. Several of these boilers and furnaces started to emit highly visible plumes of smoke (Figure 1). To decrease the level in the Mix Drum, at approximately 6:17 p.m. liquid naphtha was sent to the refinery flare system and drained to an oily water sewer. Starting at approximately 6:32 p.m., naphtha from the Mix Drum was also drained directly to the ground creating a vapor cloud. At approximately 6:46 p.m., the vapor cloud of flammable naphtha that had formed on the ground reached an ignition source, which generated a large fire that fatally injured two employees [Max Morrissey and Ben Morrissey] and resulted in substantial property damage within the refinery.