Interstate Highway 80 is shut down in both directions between state Highway 4 and the Carquinez Bridge on Tuesday afternoon due to a fire burning at the NuStar Energy facility in or near the Crockett area of unincorporated Contra Costa County.
The California Highway Patrol began receiving 911 calls about the fire around 1:50 p.m.
County Supervisor John Gioia wrote on Twitter that the location is a “tank farm facility adjacent to the Phillips 66 Refinery in Rodeo.”
The explosion was felt for miles, Gioia said, and residents in Rodeo and Crockett have been asked to shelter in place.
Randy Sawyer, chief environmental health and hazardous materials officer for Contra Costa County, said around 2:45 p.m. that hazardous materials specialists were en route, and the initial fire also ignited a grass fire.
Steve Hill, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, said that while the district is not the lead agency on the fire, they are sending resources to assist.
Sheriff’s deputies say a number of road closures have been issued in the area. Authorities at the scene are also looking at stopping westbound traffic on Highway 80 out of concern for public safety, according to the CHP.
Contra Costa Health Services has issued a statement calling the fire a “hazardous materials emergency,” advising nearby residents to go inside, close all windows and doors and turn off all heaters, air conditioners and fans.
People are advised to close fireplace vents as well, and consider covering any cracks around doors and windows with tape or damp towels.
People in the area have also been asked to stay off their phones and avoid tying up 911 dispatchers with additional reports unless a new emergency occurs.
photo credit: CHP – Contra Costa County
26 comments
Everyone EAST of Crockett is in the downwind. We’re screwed but there will be no consequences on the refinery except a lil token fine.
Then they will twist the knife by raising the gas prices.
Hit the nail on the head DVC Student
It’s not the Rodeo Refinery but a Tank Farm owned by Nustar.
It’s not the Rodeo Refinery but a Tank Farm owned by Nustar which stores product.
Fractionator,
How many theoretical plates you got?
” there will be no consequences on the refinery except a lil token fine.”
How about we wait to see what caused it before we start placing blame. As said below, we’ve had a couple of significant earthquakes lately. Possible contributing factor? Don’t know. Could very well be the companies fault. But it could also have been caused by several other things that are out of their control.
Pure speculation – Earthquake related?
That would be my guess. Pretty close together in time, and that was a solid jolt. Wonder what their inspection program is post shock.
Go indoors and close all sources of outside air? Forget that – I’d get the H out of Dodge if I was downwind! It sounds like some really toxic stuff was being released.
why did it take over 2 hours to get the foam trucks in to put this fire out. those should be at every tank location for these situations.
The fire was to hot to get trucks close enough to fight the fire safely. They had to wait for the flames to die down.
Each refinery doesn’t have its own. They rely on mutual aid from the other refineries for foam trucks and more expensive equipment.
I seen the fireball from valljo .
One of the “local” mutual aid foam trucks was lost in the 2012 Chevron Fire…they parked it too close to the leak, which caught on fire and engulfed the engine.
I wouldn’t be *surprised* if it was EQ related, but as stated, that would be pure speculation…there are no coincidences.
I have Zero firefighting experience, I know Zero about refineries & this is the 1st time I’ve heard of a Tank Farm… therefore, I’m most qualified to Monday Morning Quarterback the fire response:
They should have flown a helicopter directly over the burning tank & dropped a chemical ball that immediately explodes foam & suffocates the fire.
My expert theory would have put out the fire in 60 seconds.
there use to be “Tank Farm Hill” in west county leaving the san pablo area a toward pinole on along side san pablo ave. a memory from childhood… houses and such now… fewer and fewer people around anymore who remember.
oh… and… Contra Costa College was also known as Tank Farm Tech…
Just now, 6:55, brand new huge black plumb of smoke rising from the Martinez/Richmond area.
Air quality – Visually checked air quality from upstairs at 6:30 pm, south PH. Dark pink sunset and considerable smoke to the west hanging over hills from Briones south toward Moraga. Also hazy over Mt Diablo. Have house shut up and our 3 air purifiers running, 2 on allergen clean and 1 on regular clean. Have found they make a big difference in inside air quality, particularly with pollen and similar issues.
That is good to know. However just for educational purposes, I also shut everything down including the air purifiers because you still need fresh O2 sources from some where and the air machines will literally draw unwanted contaminants from back flow sources or endemic cracks from expansion ((joints)) cavities in your matrix.
Where was MPD? Martinez Police Dept?
You had every side street headed North from Hwy 4 backed up from Hwy 4 to Marina Vista?
Sorry that everyones “apps” misled them, but you’re either going to have to take 680n, Shell Ave or Arthur rd……There’s no magical cut throughs, but if u want to sit on Pacheco blvd for 2 hours, whatever.
That was terrible – I forgot about traffic coming home from DVC & only realized it as I was entering the on-ramp.
I reversed off the on-ramp (hey, I’m a student, we’re supposed to still do dumb stuff) & took Contra Costa Blvd which had medium traffic.
Update: fire has been contained. However, contained normally just means that it isn’t spreading anymore, and doesn’t normally mean that the fire is out.
“NuStar Fire is now contained. County Environmental Health HazMat teams are working to assess the current health threat in Crockett, Rodeo, and Hercules.”
As for the freeway, SigAlert is showing that freeway is still closed in that area.
9:39 PM – All Clear phone call.
But I don’t trust it.
Use your best judgment but I would wait until tomorrow morning to open the windows
The real Hazmat is that oil leaking gross polluter Harley.
Not too many Harley riding around with an oil leak,The back tire has to ride thru that oil and it will make them wreck.And gross polluter?When do you see a Harley smoking?They don’t smog motorcycles because they aren’t worried about it.And it’s legal to ride between lanes or “split ‘ lanes which you probably don’t like..
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