Originally Posted By UKFansFan I just heard about the explosion in Hemel Hempstead. Concerned for you all since I can never rememeber exactly where everyone is. Please check in here and let us all know everything is okay with you.
Originally Posted By u k fan What explosion? This is the first I've heard of it! I'm not exactly close to Hemel, but I'm not too far. I think Dave and Sarah are probably closer!!!
Originally Posted By bloona HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (Reuters) - Explosions tore through a fuel depot north of London on Sunday, spewing out a huge tower of smoke and flame in what officials said could be the biggest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe. Police said only one person was seriously injured and believed it was almost certainly an accident. "There is nothing that indicates anything other than an accident," Hertfordshire Chief Constable Frank Whiteley told a news conference after Britons, still on edge from July bomb attacks in London, awoke to fresh images of destruction. Eyewitnesses described a series of massive explosions at the Buncefield oil depot just after 6 a.m., shooting flames and billowing smoke hundreds of feet into the air, smashing the windows of nearby homes and causing widespread damage. A Reuters witness said the blast was heard 40 km (25 miles) away in northwest London. The county’s chief fire officer, Roy Wilsher, said it was the largest fire he had ever seen and would burn for at least another 24 hours. "We have been informed by experts that this is possibly the largest incident of this kind in peacetime Europe," he said. Hours later, the sky was still blackened by a wall of smoke which had drifted miles across southern England and was big enough to be visible on space satellite images. Some homes in the area were evacuated. Police said there were 43 casualties but only one person appeared to have suffered serious injuries. "At the moment it looks as if we got off a lot more lightly than you would expect with an explosion of this size," Whiteley said.
Originally Posted By bloona My cousin lives 10 miles away from there and the explosion woke her this morning, she said it looked just like the sun setting, a huge ball of fire. Luckily theyve said the smoke isnt toxic, cant be very healthy to breath in though!
Originally Posted By sarahwithbaloo Baloos checking in we are far enough not to have heard it (I think somepeople heard it 25 miles off) but we are not far and as the M1 is closed off it will effect Daves travel to work in the morning.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ If it's oil burning it should produce a carbon soot, which is not toxic but isn't healthy to breath either. Glad to hear our LPers are okay so far!!
Originally Posted By chickendumpling Glad to hear LPers are okay so far. Sorry about your commute interference Dave. Gotta love u k fan! Huh, what? LOL! Best wishes to all you all.
Originally Posted By sarahwithbaloo Dave just let me know he got to work OK he says that Hemel Hempstead looks like there is a sun rise over it at the moment they have evaquared the town as ther is still the risk of more explosions but of course that means there was the usual awful people looting last night which I feel is terrible people taking advantage of an already bad situation.
Originally Posted By u k fan Apparently the smoke is likely to drift over my county, Oxforshire, today, but I am in the far north of the county so I doubt we'll see it. It's headed SW towards the channel now. It's so big it can be seen on the satellite pictures on the weather!!!
Originally Posted By smedley Hi Guys, I'm working nights, so not had chance to check in. Pleased to report no effects up here in the Midlands. In fact if anything it had a positive spin for me. The fact that the southern end of the M1 was closed last night meant my commute to work took 10 mins less lol! Seriously though, I think we've been seriously lucky there weren't more injuries or casualties, let's hope they figure out how to bring it under control soon.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo 3.5 hours to go 49 miles this evening. fun, fun, fun. And it smells really bad, horrid in fact. We could see the blaze from the building I was in today. Not nice.
Originally Posted By disney pete people where indeed lucky it looks real bad on tv and in the papers glad our uk LPrs are fine.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Things are looking better. 11 of the 22 fires were put out yesterday, but they had to suspend the fire fighting activities due to concerns when a tanker collapsed, putting a vat of unknown chemicals at risk of explosion. They have evacuated 5 sq miles. 43 schools closed, and I have a meeting with Hertfordshire to discuss some of the rebuilding strategy today.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ I just can't imagine the devestation. And I'm a veteran of refinery fires! The magnitude of this one blows me away.
