Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/06/21/refinery-explosion-in-new-jers.html
…
3 Likes
Philadelphia, PA – not NJ
12 Likes
Refinery explosions are very dangerous, while that’s obvious and a given i really can’t overstate it enough. It can decimate the immediate and surrounding area depending on what part of the facility goes up in flames.
My home state in Venezuela had an explosion some years ago and the residential area that was near was wiped out. There’s also chemical fumes to be very concerned about 
19 Likes
“Refinery explosion in New Jersey”
You’re just messing with us Philadelphians; aren’t you?
Drove past on my way to work this morning. It was contained by then.
13 Likes
OH NO!!! A refinery had a fire and explosion… This is why cars are too danger…
Oops! I thought I was commenting on a hydrogen plant fire.
Carry on.
1 Like
To be fair, when someone sees a bleak landscape on fire, they think “New Jersey”. 
9 Likes
To be fair, isn’t part of the Philly suburbs in Jersey? I have a friend who lives outside Philly, but in Jersey (too far to be suburbs, but he sometimes does some freelancing in Philly).
I should text him to see what he saw or heard this morning?
2 Likes
To be fair, although NJ is highly developed, it is largely a beautiful landscape of farms, pinelands and beaches. Bleak is the last thing it is – not called the Garden State for nothing.
There are big oil refineries in NJ, but most are north near NYC and Staten Island.
6 Likes
I thought “shelter in place” meant “Hang in there. It’s gonna be a few days before we can dig you out.”
3 Likes
Sorry, I forgot the “wink”
Sure, but the oil refineries in question are in Pennsylvania, they lie directly south of the City, spitting distance from the big sports arenas, between Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International airport, and adjacent to the old Phildelphia Naval Yards. Its an industrial area that can hardly be considered the suburbs. I live 6 miles from the center of Philadelphia, and we did not hear these go BOOM.
4 Likes
It shouldn’t need to be mentioned, but solar and wind won’t explode and pollute the local area. And batteries generally don’t and those that do, the problem is being worked on and will likely be safe soon.
4 Likes
And it shouldn’t need to be mentioned, but INSULATE FIRST, Solar Second.
3 Likes
Yes - some NJ towns are Philly burbs.
But this is located in South Philly. The Airport and the ball park are between it and the Delaware River - than over the River you have maybe West Deptford, NJ.
Folks in South Philly at work didn’t hear it.
Here’s the address:
3144 W Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19145
United States
Let me try a map link here on my phone.
The fire will keep burning for some time - but the air was determined fine this morning- and fortunately the injuries seem to not be severe.
I drove right past it at about 8:30 this morning and the road closures were gone & the air quality/shelter in place warning for the neighbors was ended.
Still - a refinery right next to a neighborhood seems not optimal. There’s a bit of a buffer between it and the Airport- I didn’t hear of any disruption overnight.
2 Likes
Well actually, wind turbines can catch fire and explode, though obviously not to the same degree as a refinery.
8 Likes
I went and looked at the map CNN had later, so yeah, total in Pennsylvania.
It did happen at 4am or so, perhaps you were still snoozing?
1 Like
Apparently, this refinery had been around for 150 years (so since the original discovery of oil in that part of the country, I think. The fact that it’s so near a city center is likely an artifact of that. I know my grandfather (from Scranton) grew up near a coal facility (and used to find extra coal on the street for his family). Many American cities are still these kinds of patchworks, with industrial centers close to neighborhoods, because they were built before the age of cars. You can see that in my home town, where the older factories (mostly cotton mills built in the late 19th and early 20th century) nearer to neighborhoods (which in some cases were built by the companies). The place my dad worked when we were growing up was well away from any neighborhoods, because it was built in the 50s or 60s, I believe…
Glad this was not as bad as it first seemed, but hopefully there will not be long term environmental effects for you guys.
2 Likes
THis makes me feel sad, but I think that it is good to remember those that have been lost.
1 Like
Yeah - it’s been there forever. And there was a much worse fire in the 70’s.
We dodged a bullet here. Some local coverage below.
3 Likes
