Two federal agencies have dispatched investigators to Superior, Wisconsin, following yesterday’s massive explosion and fire at the Husky Energy refinery that injured at least 20 people.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced late yesterday that it would be deploying a 4-person team to investigate the cause of the blast.
Members from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Eau Claire, Wisconsin office are also responding to the incident, and will be working with state and local authorities to determine if any workplace safety violations contributed to the explosion.
Husky Energy Refinery Fire Finally Extinguished Thursday Evening
Workers at the 38,000-bpd Husky Energy refinery were preparing to shut down the facility for cleaning, when a tank holding either asphalt or crude oil exploded around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 26th.
Though responders from the Superior Fire Department and other agencies were able to bring the ensuing fire under control by 12:15 p.m., it reignited less than a half hour later, sending plumes of foul-smelling black smoke into the air for miles.
Crews using a combination of foam and water were finally able to contain the blaze around 7:00 p.m. Thursday night.
Evacuation Order Lifted This Morning
The explosion resulted in the evacuation of much of Superior, Wisconsin, a community of about 27,000 people.
Initially, Douglas County officials had indicated that evacuees would be able to return home on Thursday night.
However, the order was extended later in the evening, and only lifted at 6:00 a.m. Friday, once crews determined that the site was stable.
“Yesterday was a very scary day and had the potential to be absolutely catastrophic,” Superior Mayor Jim Paine said during a Friday morning news conference. “The team that really managed this crisis had prepared for this for a long time and when the crisis came, they acted with a cool head, they acted with sound judgment and in many cases, downright courage.”
He added that air quality is being monitored and currently poses no threat to residents.
20 Workers Injured in Connection with Husky Energy Refinery Explosion
More than two dozen people were injured in connection with the explosion and resulting evacuation, including 20 workers at the Husky Energy refinery.
According to the company, many of those hurt were employed by the vendor that had been contracted to clean the facility.
Five injured workers were transferred to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota.
One of those individuals suffered serious blast injuries and is currently listed in good condition, while four were treated and released.
Five other workers taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Superior were also treated and released.
One person was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth and is currently listed in fair condition.
The remaining workers were treated on site for minor injuries.
Six people were also treated Thursday evening at the St. Mary Medical Center ER for minor, evacuation-related injuries. They have all since been released.
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