Calcasieu Refinery experiences 2 explosions within 2 weeks

On June 3, a tank at the Calcasieu Refining Company caught fire when it was struck by lightning. Smoke billowed into the sky that could be seen for miles. The tank contained 46,000 barrels or 1,932,000 gallons worth of chemicals.

This prompted an evacuation for anyone in the 1.5-mile radius of the plant and a shelter-in-place for three miles around the plant. 

Fortunately, it does not appear as if anyone was hurt, nor that the air quality in the surrounding area reached dangerous levels of contamination. 

It was later verified that the tank contained naphtha. It was originally thought that naphthalene was in the container.

A second fire

On June 18, the location experienced a fire that broke out on the premises. Fortunately for those involved, it appears as if this blaze was contained relatively quickly, and that no one’s safety was compromised. 

While this certainly is news given the nature of chemicals present at the refinery, this has garnered even more attention considering that this was the second incident of its kind in a short timeframe.

Were you injured while working at a refinery?

The Johnson Firm is well regarded for its handling of motor vehicle-related accidents, and we keep our ears very low to the ground with regard to traffic incidents that put our community in difficult positions. 

What might not be as well known is our expertise regarding plant explosions and off-shore accidents, which also requires top-of-the-line legal counseling. We remain plugged into what is taking place in that realm as well, and it looks like Calcasieu Refining Company has had a tumultuous month of June to date in that regard.

It will be interesting to see what caused the second fire, but at this juncture, it appears to be unrelated to the weather-related event that took place earlier in the month. 

The Johnson Firm can be reached at (337) 433-1414.