Blaze at Port of Tampa damages tanks, raises questions

A fire highlights the city's risk and readiness.

By MIKE BRASSFIELD, Times Staff Writer
Published September 27, 2007

Early Wednesday, a fire broke out at one of the port's many oil warehouses and caused nearly $2-million in damage.
	[Skip O'Rourke | Times]

TAMPA -- The Port of Tampa stores millions of gallons of hazardous materials, including gasoline, jet fuel, sulfuric acid and the deadly gas anhydrous ammonia. Much of it is practically a stone's throw from downtown Tampa.

Early Wednesday, a fire broke out at one of the port's many oil warehouses and caused nearly $2-million in damage.

While the blaze was quickly brought under control, it raises a question: What would happen if there were ever a major fire or explosion at the port?

Local fire, emergency and port officials assure the public that they are prepared for that possibility.

"We feel comfortable that, barring any unforeseen holocaust, we'll be able to get down there and do what we need to do," said Larry Gispert, Hillsborough County's emergency management director.

Wednesday's fire started about 1 a.m. at the Amalie Oil Co. at 1601 McCloskey Blvd., across the channel from the southern tip of Harbour Island.

The warehouse stores motor oil, coolant and brake fluid in 120 tanks that hold anywhere from 1,500 to 1-million gallons, said Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade. The fire started in a boiler room, a block shed surrounded by storage tanks.

About 30 people were working there at the time. No one was injured.

About 50 firefighters responded, including Tampa's hazardous materials team, which is based at the nearest fire station, in Palmetto Beach.

It took about an hour to extinguish the flames. Losses were estimated at nearly $2-million because the fire damaged several storage tanks and the thousands of gallons of fluids inside.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

"The damage was limited to one small area," said Amalie Oil vice president Al Vittorino.

"With all the safety procedures we have in place, plus coordination with the Fire Department, everything worked smoothly and prevented anything from getting worse."

The company, which has been at the port for 50 years, ships lubricants all over the country and to China and South America.

Fire officials have met with Amalie and other port businesses to plan how to fight a fire at that location, Wade said.

So the hazmat team was prepared with a map of the warehouse, a list of products in it, and locations of nearby hydrants.

"The captain that was on the hazardous materials team last night was so familiar with this particular business, he had met several years ago with the company's owner, and told us Amalie was named after the owner's grandmother," Wade said.

The port and its spinoffs employ tens of thousands of workers, and generate billions of dollars in economic activity and hundreds of millions in taxes.

Most of the port's trade is in petroleum and chemicals. It supplies virtually all the gasoline and jet fuel for West and Central Florida.

Last year it brought in more than 15-million tons of phosphate and fertilizer components such as sulfuric acid and the deadly gas anhydrous ammonia.

Millions of gallons of that gas are stored in steel tanks designed to withstand impacts up to and including a small plane crash.

The port's petroleum and chemical tanks are subject to much federal regulation and oversight, and the port is required to plan for emergencies.

"The agencies involved have a very aggressive enforcement policy," said Tampa Port Authority spokesman Andy Fobes.

The Palmetto Beach fire station has an 18-wheel tanker truck, supplied by the port, that can shoot out large quantities of fire-retardant foam.

The port also bought fire boats for the city.

And in the unlikely event of an anhydrous ammonia leak, emergency sirens at four fire stations will blast a warning to the tens of thousands of people who work at the port or live in downtown, on Davis Islands, Harbour Island or in Palmetto Beach.

Staff writer Casey Cora contributed to this report. Mike Brassfield can be reached at brassfield@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3435.

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 01:35:33]