Fire burns through two tanks at US fuel depot

A FIRE has raged through two tanks at a fuels storage facility in California, US. 

The fire began on 15 October and burned for around seven hours before it was extinguished. All personnel were reported safe and accounted for, the company said in a statement seen by the Los Angeles Times. The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation by authorities.  

NuStar Energy, which operates the 24-tank storage site, said the two tanks of ethanol that caught fire were less than 1% full. ABC7 reported that 250,000 gallons (946,000 L) of ethanol was burned. The site stores gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and ethanol with more than 3m bbl of storage capacity. All operations at the facility have been halted. 

Due to the thick plume of black smoke that was rising from the facility, health officials were monitoring for air quality issues, and nearby communities were ordered to shelter in their homes until the fire was extinguished. Local schools and highways were also closed.