A large fire continues to burn at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong after breaking out late Wednesday night, April 15, prompting an emergency response to reports of “explosions and flames” at one of Australia’s two operating oil refineries.
Fire Rescue Victoria said crews were called to the Corio site about 11:05pm, with the blaze still not fully under control early today.
Around 50 firefighters were deployed as the fire escalated from a small ignition into a “quite ferocious” incident involving multiple explosions.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Michael McGuinness said the fire began in the “mogas” unit, where petrol is produced, likely caused by a leak of flammable hydrocarbons.
The blaze spread across an area roughly 30 by 30 metres. Authorities say it is not being treated as suspicious and may have resulted from a mechanical fault.
All workers on site, estimated at up to 50, were safely accounted for, with no injuries reported.
The refinery, one of only two in Australia capable of processing fuel domestically, supplies about half of Victoria’s fuel and 10 per cent nationally.
While the Victorian government said there was no confirmed disruption to production or storage, Energy Minister Chris Bowen cautioned: “It’s not a positive development. It will have an impact.”
Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt said some units remained operational but output could be affected. “We’ll only start increasing production again once we’re confident we can do that safely,” he said.
Residents in surrounding suburbs were initially told to shelter indoors as smoke spread, though authorities later downgraded the warning, stating there was “no threat to the public” despite lingering smoke.
Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj described the incident as “unprecedented,” saying the intensity of the fire meant crews had little option but to let parts of it burn out.
Union official Ronnie Hayden said the site “looked like a war zone” when the fire began, crediting experienced workers for ensuring everyone escaped safely.
“They’ve been doing this for 70 years; they know what to do if something goes wrong,” he said.
The fire is expected to burn for several hours, with investigations into the cause ongoing.
Source: ABC.
