How long did the Buncefield fire last?
five days
Eventually Tank 912 filled up completely, the petrol overflowed through vents at the top, and formed a vapour cloud near ground level, which ignited and exploded. The fires from the explosion then lasted for five days.
What happened to Buncefield?
The Buncefield fuel depot fire in December 2005 was the UK’s biggest peacetime blaze. Disaster struck early in the morning of Sunday 11 December as unleaded motor fuel was being pumped into storage tank 912, in the north west corner of the site.
When was the Buncefield fire?
December 11, 2005
Buncefield fire/Start dates
In the early hours of Sunday 11th December 2005, a number of explosions occurred at Buncefield Oil Storage Depot, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. At least one of the initial explosions was of massive proportions and there was a large fire, which engulfed a high proportion of the site.
Why did Buncefield explode?
A massive vapour cloud explosion occurred at the Buncefield fuel depot near Hemel hempstead, UK, in the morning of 11 December 2005. The explosion was caused by an overflow from one of the storage tanks resulting in the release of over 300 tons of petrol.
How much did buncefield cost?
The investigation uncovered a series of serious failings that led to the release of petrol. The cost of dealing with the disaster has been estimated at more than £1bn, making it the most costly industrial incident in the UK.
When did the UK explosion happen?
At about 16:53 hours on Saturday 1 June 1974 the Nypro (UK) site at Flixborough was severely damaged by a large explosion. Twenty-eight workers were killed and a further 36 suffered injuries.
What happened to the environment in and around Buncefield after the accident?
About 33 million L of fire water were recovered after the fire and the rest soaked into the ground, polluting the soil and groundwater. The explosion and fire destroyed most of the fuel storage site as well as industrial and domestic properties off-site, including a major office block.
How did the Buncefield fire start?
The Buncefield oil depot explosion was caused when thousands of gallons of petrol overflowed a storage tank after automatic monitoring systems broke down, an official report has found. The blast blew out a window at St Albans Abbey, five miles from the site, but remarkably nobody was killed or seriously injured.
How many people died at Flixborough?
Accident summary At about 16:53 hours on Saturday 1 June 1974 the Nypro (UK) site at Flixborough was severely damaged by a large explosion. Twenty-eight workers were killed and a further 36 suffered injuries.
How big was the storage depot at Buncefield?
At the time, the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal – co-owned by Total and Texaco – handled more than two million metric tonnes of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel each year and was the fifth largest oil products storage depot in the UK. With smaller explosions still happening, the first thought of those living nearby was to leave.
Where did the Buncefield oil storage fire start?
Oil storage depot at Buncefield where the fire started after 250,000 litres of petrol leaked from a tank. Photograph: Hertfordshire Police/PA Oil storage depot at Buncefield where the fire started after 250,000 litres of petrol leaked from a tank. Photograph: Hertfordshire Police/PA
Where is the Buncefield oil depot in Hertfordshire?
The Buncefield oil storage depot The Buncefield oil storage and transfer depot is a tank farm in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, close to Junction 8 of the M1 motorway. In December 2005 there were three operating sites at the depot:
When was the explosion at Buncefield in Hertfordshire?
The Herts town will never forget the sound of the huge eruption that took place on that Sunday, (December 11, 2005), with frantic calls to 999 and speculation about what had happened following soon after. Just after 6am peace was shattered as a blaze broke out at the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal, sending a town into panic.
