Remembering the Philadelphia gulf refinery fire 50 years on

Overview

7 August 1975 is remembered for the highest firefighter fatality count in Pennsylvania State’s modern history. What started as a crude oil tank fire at the Girard Point refinery (then operated by Gulf Oil Corporation) was initially brought under control. However, containment issues and problems managing the spent firewater left a precarious situation; a layer of naphtha hidden beneath the firefighting foam suddenly ignited, with the resulting inferno rapidly advancing through the flooded refinery. A massive emergency response was eventually able to reclaim the facility, but at a cost; eight firefighters dead. Memorial plaques outside of the Fireman’s Hall Museum in downtown Philadelphia honour each of the fallen.

This tragic incident has been largely forgotten about in the process industries; however, the memory is kept alive within the firefighting community. The official investigation report does not exist on the internet; the presenting author was able to track this down after months of trawling historical newspapers and reaching out via union leaders, fire commissioners, and national archives. This presentation will reveal why a floating roof storage tank should never be brought “off-float” in error, the importance of effective communication in emergency response, and why there should always be a plan for managing firefighting run-off water.

Process safety has doubtless come a long way in the last 50 years, however, there is an unfortunate ending to this story that suggests that maybe we have yet to learn the lessons of the past.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the IChemE Safety Centre in full. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.