Smoke cloud from Buncefield fire obscures London's St. Paul's Cathedral, late afternoon Sunday.

OIL DEPOT FIRE LEADS TO SPREADING SMOKE & SOOT CLOUD OVER LONDON
11 December 2005

Today the city of London was obscured by a cloud of black smoke emanating from a massive petroleum fire at the Buncefield fuel depot, in Hertfordshire, near Luton airport, north of London. The fire resulted from at least one severe explosion at the fuel storage facility. The blast occurred just after 6:00 GMT and was reportedly heard up to 100 miles away, including in northern France and the Netherlands.

Flames from the ensuing inferno reached several hundred feet in the air, pulling forth a plume of thick dark smoke that spread out across the region and was soon visible from outer space. By 9:30 GMT, the smoke cloud had spread across all of metropolitan London and much of southeastern England. London was enjoying an unusually clear sky, so most apparent dark clouds over the city were attributable to the Buncefield fire.

Some 2,000 people living near the blast site were evacuated from their homes as a precaution against health effects from the smoke and possible secondary explosions. Residents of the United Kingdom's capital and largest city, were warned to stay indoors and keep their windows closed until further notice, due to concern over the possible health risks posed by toxins in the smoke.

Reports suggest at least 40 people were injured, 4 severely, and several dozen people suffered difficulty breathing from the noxious fumes. Police have ruled that the fire started as the result of an accident and not from any sabotage or criminal act.

According to the AP: "There were several blasts at Buncefield terminal, which stores 4 million gallons of gasoline, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel, and officials warned that more could occur since it will take days to extinguish the inferno."

The UK Environment Agency says its main concern relates to seepage of contaminants into groundwater and river systems, and to possible damage to "land quality", which could affect agriculture and overall polution levels in the region.

As television reports began coming in from Hertfordshire, car alarms were audible in most early footage, due to the impact of pressure emitted by the massive explosion. Witnesses reported shattered windows, doors buckling and damage to automobiles, most likely from blast impact.

The cloud is expected to spread over much of southern England by Monday, a prediction based on prevailing wind conditions. Some flights at Heathrow airport were forced to delay landing due to poor visibility from the smoke, and at least 70 schools have been closed for Monday in the area around the blast and fire. [s]

STORY UPDATES:
SMOKE STILL CARRIED IN CLOUDS OVER LONDON
13 December 2005

One day after officials warned the soot in the atmosphere could pose health risks as rain brought particulate pollution out of the sky, dark streaks were still visible in the London sky, and clouds were carrying contaminants from the most massive peacetime fire in Europe's history. [Full Story]

BUNCEFIELD FIRE LIKELY CAUSED WHEN PETROL (GASOLINE) BEING POURED INTO TANK OVERFLOWED, SPARKED
9 May 2006

New report suggests mechanical failure caused gauge reading fuel levels in one tank to "stick", leading to workers filling the tank to be unaware it would shortly overflow. Fuel kept being poured into the tank, allegedly until it somehow caught a spark, causing a massive explosion and the largest fire in Europe since the Second World War. [Full Story]