Buncefiled Oil Depot Explosion

[PotGuy]

For those of you who don't know, the Buncefield oil depot exploded 6:00am Sunday morning, in Leverstock Green, near Hemel Hempstead.

This was the 5th largest oil depot in the uk, built along with the new town back in the 50's

I live half a mile from Buncefield, right on the front edge of Leverstock Green. I can see it clearly from my back window. On Sunday i was woken by an enormous rumble that shook the house. I looked out of my window and saw the explosion. It was the biggest explosion i have ever seen, and was like in the movies when they see the orange fire and heat moving towards them. Well i felt the shockwaves, saw the explosion rush towards me and felt the heat. The explosion was heard in Holland, and those of you in London will definately of heard, and it was deafening.

It is honestly the scariest thing i have ever been in, and hopefully will ever be in.

I have been evacuated, but have come back with my family to repair and sort out what we can of the house, and thought while i have the use of a computer i will email etc everyone i know.

Doug.

 

[Me__2001]

my dad heard it but i was a little drunk so slept right through it, i can see the smoke out of my window from where i live in potters bar and have the day off because school decided they'd close

i still dont get how nobody got killed, those tanks aren't exactly small and the number of houses so close to it

hopefully it didn't do too much damage to your house

 

[floppybootstomp]

Good to see you checking in Potguy, I remembered you lived in HH and was wondering.

Damn clouds even coming over to my neck of the woods (see attached pic).

More pix Here

 

[itsme]

What puzzles me is how/why did it happen?

I am glad there were no fatalities and that you guys are OK.

 

[Becky]

Glad you're ok, PotGuy! What kind of damage did it do to your house?

That must have been so scary to see - the column of smoke and fire makes it look like a nuclear mushroom cloud - I'd have been terrified!

 

[floppybootstomp]

What puzzles me is how/why did it happen?

Possibilities:

1) Mechanical breakdown/accident
2) Explosive device planted
3) Somebody had a crafty fag where they shouldn't have

I've worked in those places, often through the night, radiography/welding inspection. Horrible, soul-destroying places to be.

 

[muckshifter]

Whoa ... big bang

Nobody got Killed ... dam good show.

Who wants a gas mask then ... only £50.

 

[cirianz]

I can't think of a word to put here that wouldn't be censored!
We don't get TV out here (smack up against a granite cliff) so I hadn't heard about it yet. I'm glad you're ok PotGuy, & thanks for letting us know. I hope your house & stuff aren't to badly damaged. Good luck!

 

[ChristopherP]

Cable...sattelite...internet????

Wow...no TV

go to www.bbc.co.uk/news and read all about it Cirianz

 

[muckshifter]

Cable...satellite...internet????

Wow...no TV

go to www.bbc.co.uk/news and read all about it Cirianz

No TV here either ... but I do visit the BBC site ... when I remember.

Chris, why would you visit CNN if you don't live in the US.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Chris, why would you visit CNN if you don't live in the US.

I look at CNN and Fox as well, sometimes.

Why?

Well, sometimes I need cheering up and to look at the US style of reporting with their oh so obvious bias never fails to amuse.

Do they really fall for that stuff? All presented by fifty-something guys in shiny suits and big teeth and peroxide females with smart suits, immobile hair, a large bust and same rigor mortis style grin.

They can't be that gullible in the States can they? Can they?

Apparently, us Brits are 'quaint'

I'm quaint, baby, take me for a drink

And to re-iterate - no TV here either.

No newspapers, either. I used to buy The Guardian every Saturday til I figured all I need is on the web. And most of it, hard news, comment, observation, provided by the BBC.

 

[ChristopherP]

I prefer the BBC... its a good site.

 

[Alf]

Good thing no one was killed, i heard it was caused by a leak of some sort. im pretty sure those black clouds cant be good for yor health either..

 

[cirianz]

Cable...sattelite...internet????

Wow...no TV

go to www.bbc.co.uk/news and read all about it Cirianz

Yeah, I check out the BBC every so often & of course whenever something significant happens (John usually hears about it on the radio at work)

& I must admit that I check out CNN occasionally to, mostly to keep an eye on what sort of spin is being fed the American public & what sort of excuses Bush is making for his latest activity or cock-up.

I can get the internet here fine obviously & as for TV? I really don't miss it. If we want to watch something then we have video's and DVD's, asides from that The TV's just not on. Since we only put it on if we actually want to watch something in particular then we don't have the 'turn it on when you come home & watch whatever's on mentality', we do stuff instead.
Right now, however, my son is watching "The magic school bus" & learning about the food chain from phytoplankton to tuna. But I'm about to go off & make us some lunch but I think I'll pass on the plankton

 

[gabriella]

I was looking for something on the ASOS site yesterday, or rather attempting to and I found out that they have had to suspend operations as their warehouse has been badly damaged in the HH explosion.

They have put a full note on their website to reassure customers who are expecting items/want returns/refunds etc....

If anyone's waiting for goods from them you may want to check out their site at:

www.asos.com

Love

Gabby x

 

[TECHGUNS]

Wow that major.

It Wedsday now and havent heard anything on US news. I think the US has to much political fighting going on the media. I dont understand why. Real news isnt reported like it used to be even here.

News not in the US media.

Hand guns in San Fransico are now banned. So almost every grandmother turned in their handguns and now sales of high powered rifels 308 and 7mm went very high.

Im also a BBC visiter, but havent visited lately.

 

[PotGuy]

right im allowed back today

Superb job those fireman have done. Put the fire out in 2 days - biggest explosion/fire ever in peacetime Europe :O

Fire cheif should get an honour of some sort

No damage to my house except shed door came off, and had to screw ntl box back on the outside wall, and the house has alot of shelves off the wall etc, but nothing structural. Considering the scale of this, and the fact that other houses in the same radius got devastated, i think i am very lucky indeed.

There are about 30 tanks on the site, and if all of them had been blown up at once, it would have completely destroyed the whole of Hemel; as in flattened every building within 7-10 mile radius. As it is only 3 of the tanks exploded on Sunday, i didn't die.

Anyway, glad im alive, and ive got to go back and finish coursework tomorrow at school.

darn.

 

[muckshifter]

Well done young man ... put a Loto ticket on for me will you.

School is the best time of your life ... enjoy it, you may even learn something.

 

[V_R]

Good to see you back Potguy.

I live in Wycombe and have been past Hemel, and seen the damage for myself, i just cant belive no one was killed.....

 

[CITech]

Glad to see you're back in one piece Pots!

I saw some of the aerial footage on the news tonight and it looks like the whole plant has been flattened! I know the journalists often look for the "wow" factor, but you can't argue with a before and after picture ....

... look, fuel tanks ....... look, no fuel tanks!

Not wishing to make fun of such a serious event, but not even Paul Daniels could make that lot disappear!

Take it easy