Philip A. Dwyer | Bellingham Herald
Fire crews doused a dramatic blaze that broke out Friday at BP’s Cherry Point refinery, Washington’s largest, sending up towering flames and creating a thick plume of black smoke visible for miles. No injuries were reported.
Philip A. Dwyer | Bellingham Herald
Fire crews doused a dramatic blaze that broke out Friday at BP’s Cherry Point refinery, Washington’s largest, sending up towering flames and creating a thick plume of black smoke visible for miles. No injuries were reported.
Officials at BP’s Cherry Point refinery at Blaine are working to find out what caused Friday’s fire and how soon the nation’s 28th largest refinery will be out of service.
There’s no specific answer Monday to either question.
Spokesman Scott Dean said very preliminary information filed with the Coast Guard’s National Response Center indicated the fire could have been caused by a leaky flange connection. He says the refinery is trying to supply customers from existing stocks or other sources.
The refinery can process 230,000 barrels of crude oil a day and is ranked 28th in the nation by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
When running, it produces 20 percent of Washington’s gasoline and the majority of aviation fuel for the Vancouver, British Columbia, Sea-Tac and Portland airports.
