Storage Tank Fires and Explosions¶
Fixed-roof, floating-roof, and pressurized storage tanks have been the source of major fires, explosions, and toxic releases when maintenance, design, or emergency-response procedures break down. Each linked investigation provides the event sequence, tank design context, and CSB findings.
32 CSB investigations in this database involve storage tank as a primary or contributing equipment factor, spanning 1998–2024.
Storage Tank Fires and Explosions (32)¶
| Incident | Date | Industry | Key Hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Oil and Chemical Tank Explosion | 12/03/2004 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| CAI / Arnel Chemical Plant Explosion | 11/22/2006 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| Allied Terminals Fertilizer Tank Collapse | 11/11/2008 | Fertilizer | Chemical Release, Structural Failure |
| E. I. DuPont De Nemours Co. Fatal Hotwork Explosion | 11/09/2010 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| Barton Solvents Flammable Liquid Explosion and Fire | 10/29/2007 | Chemical Manufacturing | Fire, Explosion |
| Caribbean Petroleum Corporation (CAPECO) Refinery Tank Explosion and Fire | 10/23/2009 | Petroleum Refining | Chemical Release, Explosion |
| First Chemical Corp. Reactive Chemical Explosion | 10/13/2002 | Chemical Manufacturing | Runaway Reaction, Explosion |
| INDSPEC Chemical Corporation Oleum Release | 10/11/2008 | Chemical Manufacturing | Chemical Release, Toxic Release |
| Sunoco Logistics Partners Flash Fire | 08/12/2016 | Transportation | Flash Fire, Explosion |
| Packaging Corporation Storage Tank Explosion | 07/29/2008 | Paper And Pulp | Explosion, Fire |
| Barton Solvents Explosions and Fire | 07/17/2007 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| Motiva Enterprises Sulfuric Acid Tank Explosion | 07/17/2001 | Petroleum Refining | Explosion, Fire |
| Partridge Raleigh Oilfield Explosion and Fire | 06/05/2006 | Oil And Gas Production | Explosion, Fire |
| Midland Resource Recovery Explosion | 05/24/2017 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Runaway Reaction |
| Veolia Environmental Services Flammable Vapor Explosion and Fire | 05/04/2009 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| Third Coast Industries Petroleum Products Facility Fire | 05/01/2002 | Petroleum Refining | Fire, Pool Fire |
| Husky Energy Superior Refinery Explosion and Fire | 04/26/2018 | Petroleum Refining | Explosion, Fire |
| Formosa Plastics Vinyl Chloride Explosion | 04/23/2004 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| D.D. Williamson & Co. Catastrophic Vessel Failure | 04/11/2003 | Food Processing | Overpressure, Explosion |
| Herrig Brothers Farm Propane Tank Explosion | 04/09/1998 | Agriculture | Bleve, Explosion |
| KMCO LLC Fatal Fire and Explosion | 04/02/2019 | Chemical Manufacturing | Vapor Cloud Explosion, Flash Fire |
| Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) Tank Fire | 03/17/2019 | Petroleum Refining | Fire, Pool Fire |
| Sonat Exploration Co. Catastrophic Vessel Overpressurization | 03/04/1998 | Oil And Gas Production | Overpressure, Fire |
| Concept Sciences Hydroxylamine Explosion | 02/19/1999 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Chemical Release |
| Packaging Corporation of America Hot Work Explosion | 02/08/2017 | Paper And Pulp | Explosion, Fire |
| Little General Store Propane Explosion | 01/30/2007 | Transportation | Chemical Release, Vapor Cloud Explosion |
| Foundation Food Group Fatal Chemical Release | 01/28/2021 | Food Processing | Chemical Release, Asphyxiation |
| Watson Grinding Fatal Explosion and Fire | 01/24/2020 | Metals | Chemical Release, Explosion |
| BLSR Operating Ltd. Vapor Cloud Fire | 01/13/2003 | Oil And Gas Production | Vapor Cloud Explosion, Flash Fire |
| Silver Eagle Refinery Flash Fire and Explosion and Catastrophic Pipe Explosion | 01/12/2009 | Petroleum Refining | Flash Fire, Explosion |
| Bethune Point Wastewater Plant Explosion | 01/11/2006 | Wastewater Treatment | Explosion, Fire |
| Freedom Industries Chemical Release | 01/09/2014 | Utilities | Chemical Release, Toxic Release |
Related Hazard Types¶
Explosion · Fire · Chemical Release · Structural Failure · Overpressure
Related Equipment¶
Valve Failures in Process Plant Incidents · Pipeline Ruptures, Leaks, and Fires · Gas Detector Failures and Toxic Release Incidents · Pump Failures and Process Safety Incidents · Pressure Vessel Explosions and Failures · Transfer Hose
Data sourced from CSB.gov public investigation reports. This site is an independent project not affiliated with the U.S. CSB.