Lightning strike ignites crude oil tank at Chonburi refinery
A lightning strike sparked a crude oil tank fire at a Chonburi refinery, with crews using foam to contain the blaze. No injuries were reported.
Lightning hit the roof of a crude oil storage tank at an oil refinery in Chonburi on Monday (May 4), causing a fire that has since been brought under control.
The incident occurred at around 5pm during heavy rain. Flames spread quickly, alarming people living in nearby communities.
Witnesses at the scene said they heard a loud crack as lightning struck the upper section of a large crude oil storage tank. Shortly afterwards, black smoke and flames were seen rising from the tank roof.
Following the incident, the refinery’s fire response team and local disaster prevention and mitigation officials rushed to the scene and sprayed foam to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby tanks.
Officials later said the situation had been brought fully under control. The fire has been extinguished, with no injuries or deaths reported.
Crews are now spraying cooling water over the tank to prevent any reignition, while officials carry out a detailed inspection of the damage.
The refinery operator is preparing to coordinate with relevant agencies, including the Pollution Control Department, to monitor air quality around the site.
Although the fire was contained quickly, authorities are continuing to watch for any lingering odour or smoke that may affect the surrounding area.
Police and engineering experts are also expected to inspect the refinery’s lightning protection system and the structure of the crude oil tank to determine why the protection system may not have worked at full efficiency during the incident.
