Small Fire Preceded Explosion

A small fire broke out at an oil refinery the day before a deadly blast at the site killed 15 people and injured more than 100, a company spokesman said Friday.

Bill Stephens, a spokesman for BP, said a 3/4-inch valve on a furnace line caught fire Tuesday afternoon in a part of the plant that boosted the octane level of gasoline. The fire was reportedly extinguished within seconds by a worker.

So-called bleeder valves are placed in areas where water could collect and create steam that would slow production, he said.

Wednesday afternoon’s blast -- the worst accident in the nation’s gas and chemical industry in 15 years -- occurred as a portion of the same facility was brought up to full production after a two-week shutdown for routine maintenance.

“We don’t know if the small fire is related to the large fire,” Stephens said of the explosion, which shot flames, black plumes of smoke and metal fragments into the sky. “We’re not going to jump to any conclusions on this.”

Three federal investigators toured the perimeter of the explosion site Friday. One of them, John Bresland of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Board, said the fire appeared to be “a small incident” and probably was not connected to the explosion.

Based on his observations and videotapes of the fire after the blast, Bresland said the explosion was probably caused by a chemical release. He said investigators would know more next week.

On Friday, investigators interviewed employees, BP officials and other witnesses to the blast. The company is offering counseling to workers.

FBI agents have ruled out terrorism, but federal regulators estimate it will take them months to determine what caused the explosion.