Staten island oil refinery fire

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Staten Island Oil Facility Burning

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By ELIZABETH LeSURE NEW YORK - An explosion rocked an oil storage facility at

the edge of Staten Island, sending black smoke and flames hundreds of feet into

the air.

AP Photo

 

"We have a preliminary report that tanker was transferring a product or was

being fueled and somehow ignited," Fire Department Chief William Van Wart said.

 

It wasn't immediately clear whether any of the dozens of oil tanks at the

ExxonMobil storage facility burned.

FBI (news - web sites) spokesman Steve Kodak in Newark, N.J., said there was no

indication of terrorism. However, FBI officials in Washington said they were

still examining it because a refinery is the type of infrastructure terrorists

might target.

The Department of Homeland Security "is closely monitoring the situation with

local state authorities and other federal agencies as well as assisting in the

coordination of the response," said department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.

The explosion, which could be heard several miles away, occurred at the edge of

Port Mobile, near the Outerbridge Crossing that links the island to Woodbridge,

N.J., in the southwestern part of Staten Island, said a spokeswoman for the

Staten Island borough office.

It was reported shortly after 10 a.m., according to a spokeswoman for the New

York Fire Department. No injuries were immediately reported.

City officials said residents were not in immediate danger.

"At this point, people should not take any special precautions. It's unlikely

this could spread to a residential area," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said shortly

after the fire was reported.

 

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