A 40,000 gallon asphalt tank ignited and exploded at Blacklidge Emulsions on Friday.The explosion was so severe that it rattled homes in the Gulfport area for miles. The industrial fire was glowing red and 19 different units were sent out to contain the damage. Investigators from the State FIre Marshall,Gulfport Fire Department, and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality are trying to figure out what caused the tank to explode.
Usually these kind of explosions are caused by some fumes being ignited by a spark or heat source. My lawfirm was lead counsel for an explosion that happened at Partridge-Raleigh in Raleigh,Mississippi. We worked on the case for over a year,hired the best experts in the country,took numerous depositions,and finally settled the case about a week before trial. Three workers were killed and a welder was injured. The fumes from one tank caused the initial explosion which caused a second explosion. The proof showed that the owner/operator of the oilfield put oil in one of the tanks and failed to notify the workers that oil was in the adjacent tank. When the welder lit his torch,the fumes from the tank ignited causing the explosions. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board invested this accident. See videotape at their site www.chemsafety.gov.
