By George Potter
Supposedly empty combustible
storage tanks can be more dangerous than full ones. This was the stiuation in the
port of Gibraltar on May 31, 2011, when workers apparently were performing hot work on an “empty” diesel
fuel storage tank. As their torches heated the walls of the tank, the atmosphere inside, which contained residues of stored fuels, converted into a potential bomb. The residues ignited at approximately 3:00 PM local time. The resulting explosion and fire caused injuries to 15 people, two of whom were still in grave conditions in a local hospital as of early June. The injured are the two workers, a local police officer and 12 crewmembers of the cruise ship, Independence of the Seas, which was moored very close to the tank.
ABOUT GIBRALTAR
The port of Gibraltar lies in the bay of Algeciras, at the southwest tip if Spain. Until 1713, the less-than-three-square-mile peninsula was an integral part of Spain, but as a result of the War of Succession, Spain was obliged to cede sovereignty to the Kingdom of Great Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The United Kingdom (UK) still maintains hold of “the rock,” and although negotiations between Spain and the UK have been going on for several years, it appears that the Union Jack will fly over the colony for some years to come.
This political situation has led to numerous conflicts, all verbal, albiet with threats from both sides. For several years during the latter half of the 20th Century, the Spanish government unilaterally closed the land border between Spain and the colony, only to open it again for foot traffic in 1982, after 13 years of “isolation.” The border is now open to full traffic.
During these nearly three centuries, Gibraltar has been stratigically vital as it controls the maritime passages in and out of the Mediterranean Sea. This was evident during World War II, when it was under British control, and Allied naval convoys were able to enter the Mediterranean almost at will, contributing decisively to victories in battles in North Africa and the invasion of Italy. Civilian and military shipyards and repair facilties dominated the peninsula’s industrial activities until only very recently. Today, the colony’s economy is centered on four principal activities: finalcial services (offshore secure banking), Internet gaming (gambling and betting), shipping (commercial, cargo, and passenger traffic), and tourism. The British maintain contingents of Royal Army and Navy units, although the Royal Air Force no longer has combat aircraft or support personnel in the colony.
THE INCIDENT
The affected tank was not a very large one, and was apparently used for fuel transfers. It had been drained but was not inerted. Inertization is a common practice when work must be performed on combustible liquid storage vessels. It is required in the petrochemical industries before any work can be started, especially hot work. In 1985, a similar but much more tragic incident occured accross the Algeciras bay in the San Roque petrochemical refinery port. During the off-loading process of the highly volatile product “virgin clean nafta” an unidentified heat source cause the inflammation of vapors. The storage tanks of the affected ship had not been inertized during transit or during the discharge, liberating large amounts of highly flammable vapors. As a result of that explosion, 33 crewmembers of two ships perished and 38 more suffered burns and injuries.
One positive aspect of the San Roque tragedy was the cooperation between several Spanish public fire services in the bay area–the San Roque refinery fire brigade, other local industrial fire brigades, and the Gibraltar city fire brigade—who sent personnel and material nearly immediately to the refinery. In images of this incident, one can observe at least three distinct types of fire hose couplings: the standardized Spanish “Barcelona” quick-connect type, the German “Storz” quick-connect (apparently used by some of the industrial brigades), and the standard British couplings used by the Gibraltar fire brigade.
However, in the 2011 incident, the Gibraltar government refused offers of assistance from various municipalities around the bay area. It was only after several hours of intense but futile firefighting efforts by the Gibraltar fire brigade and the ignition of a second storage tank ajacent to the initial fire that the Gibraltar government accepted Spanish assistance. Firefighters and vehicles from several towns around the area and three tugboats responded to the fires. One local Spanish mayor has declared that his city government will take the Gibralter government to court for negligence based on the refusal to accept help from Spain.
Another serious consequence of this fire is a several square mile fuel spill into the Algeciras bay that has affected several beaches and caused mobilization of spill recovery resourses. The fire burned for nearly two days before being controlled and extinguished.
The British colony of Gibraltar is approximately 2.6 square miles in size, and lies at the base of whast is commonly known as “the rock,” which extends uphill near the 1,398-foot peak. The Gibraltar city fire brigade runs four R.I.V.-type engines, a 60-foot aerial ladder, one light rescue van, a multi-purpose van, and an ambulance out of one station. All of these vehicles have been purpose designed and built in order to maneuver on the colony’s very narrow streets. Sixty fireighters and officers cover three 24-hour shifts, led by three senior-level chief officers and aided by some 15 additional personnel in communications, administration, etc.
Around the Algeciras bay area, the Cadiz provincial public fire service operates six local fire stations staffed by some 140 firefighters and officers. The Algeciras, La Línea, and San Roque stations provide the most immediate emergency response coverage to the bay area. If necessary, resources and personnel can be mobilized from the 13 other stations that comprise the provincial fire service, placing more than a dozen engines and nearly 100 firefighters on scene in a very reasonable time span.
This incident emphasizes the absolute need for standard operating procedures (SOPs) by users when performing maintainance operations on combustible storage containers. There are vast numbers of these containers in various industries–petrochemical plants, thermal energy plants, cement factories, and many more. Railway tank cars and highway fuel tankers must be considered, also. These SOPs must include inertization of the interiors on the vessels, constant control of vapor levels and contents, standby fire protection, and close cooperation among the possible diverse fire and emergency services that may be directly responsible for first response to emergencies in the locality and those that may be required for assistance and resources. This is not unlike the many probable “accross the border” situations that exist among many states in the U.S., and even localities along the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican borders. Cooperation and coordination are essential in these emergencies.
George H. Potter is a practicing fire protection specialist who has lived in Spain for the past 45 years. He served as an Anne Arundel County, Maryland, volunteer firefighter with the Riva Volunteer Fire Department and the Independent Hose Company in Annapolis and as an ambulance driver with the Wheaton (MD) Rescue Squad. He served six years in the United States Air Force as a firefighter, an apparatus driver/operator, and a crew chief. He has been involved in fire protection system installation, mobile fire apparatus design, and construction and fire safety training. He is a Spain-certified fire service instructor and a hazmat specialist, and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Spanish Firefighters’ Association (ASELF).
