12/13/2005: Hemel Hempstead oil fire
 

http://cellar.org/2005/oilfire1.jpg

It's been called Europe's biggest peacetime fire - this massive blaze at an oil depot has produced some remarkable shots from the sky. So far, though, it's thought that the massive black smoke is not a health hazard - hard to believe. There seems to be more worry about the fire-fighting foam they're using to help extinguish it. It may still be burning...

http://cellar.org/2005/oilfire2.jpg

http://cellar.org/2005/oilfire3.jpg

That last shot is pretty impressive. Is this north of London?

About 20 miles north.

Wow. Very impressive. And very dirty.

What a waste. All that pollution going up into the atmosphere, and we aren't able to harness it at all. Normally, we would get to move several hundred thousand cars around for the same amount of pollution, but this is just being wasted. What a shame.

Hemel Hempstead is 14 miles from my family's home town. They were all woken up & listened immediately for sirens, thinking it was a bomb, that the nearest garage had blown up or that a local factory tower (under demolition) had come down.

Luckily (for them) Aylesbury is North of Hemel, so they are not even in any potential danger from the smoke, which is headed South.

I hadn't seen that picture before though - it's really impressive. If that's the right word to use...

Wow, those are great pics! I was watching the news on the morning of the explosions, thinking there would be dozens of people killed, then the BBC reported the police as saying only limited injuries. Oddly though, half an hour later, ITV news (which I hate for it's ignorance) reported the police as saying no injuries... Very odd.

Love the satellite pics of the smoke too, got any of those?

http://cellar.org/2005/oilfire4.jpg

This is not the best of them... I can't really make out what's fire and what's Parisian ghettos.

Are they sure this isn't a vulcano poping up near London. ;)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we welcome you to Virtual Saudi Arabia 1991!"

Extremely hard to believe! :eyebrow:

I suspect there's some.. ah.. "information management" going on. Just like the US Gov't. said that the WTC debris wasn't harmful. They figure that by the time it comes out that they're lying, it will be too late, and they'll have avoided a panic. And maybe they can scapegoat some scientist and/or pass a law preventing lawsuits.

The massive black smoke is not a health hazard..... because it's headed for France. :lol:

[world]Of course, you English know this will count against your Kyoto emissions. Tough luck, that.[/police]

By looking at the pics all the smoke seems to go straight up, so it isn't really affecting air quality at ground level. The Fire Brigade are letting it burn off a bit more of the escaped gas before they put it out fully this afternoon.

Where's Texas oilwell fire fighter Red Adair when you really need him? Opps he's dead... Pretty cool guy though.

http://www.redadair.com/

makes me want to put on my DVD of Hellfighters!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063060/