A Running List of Infrastructure Fires, Explosions, and Production Halts in 2026 (as of 4/21/26)
Once is random, twice is coincidence, three or more times is a pattern.
A Running List of Infrastructure Fires, Explosions, and Production Halts in 2026
Last updated: May 14, 2026. Excludes active combat zones. Kinetic incidents (fires, explosions) are listed separately from production halts. Incidents confirmed or suspected as deliberate are flagged.
⚠️ A note on sourcing: As the global energy situation has deteriorated in 2026, a growing number of circulating “incident lists” are presenting outdated events — some from 2021, 2024, or 2025 — as current 2026 occurrences. This is particularly common in AI-generated summaries shared on social media without citations. Before amplifying any list of infrastructure incidents, verify that each entry has a datestamped link to a credible news source. Every entry below includes one. If you encounter a list that doesn’t, treat it with skepticism.
Disclosure: Given the volume of incidents and the speed at which this situation is evolving, AI was used to assist in research and compilation. All entries have been reviewed and verified by a human editor. If you spot an error, a missing incident, or have additional detail on any entry, please leave a comment or reach out directly — this list will be updated as new information becomes available.
Legend ⚡ Energy | 📦 Logistics & Ports | 🌱 Fertilizer ❓ Cause Undetermined | ⚠️ Confirmed Deliberate | 🚨 Suspected Deliberate
TRACKER — as of May 14, 2026
⚡ Energy: 30 kinetic incidents
📦 Logistics & Ports: 10 kinetic incidents
🌱 Fertilizer: 4 production halts
KINETIC INCIDENTS
Fires, explosions, and other disasters
January 16 — Northern Natural Gas Pipeline, Willow River, Pine County, Minnesota ⚡ 📰 Minnesota Star Tribune — Natural gas pipeline explosion rocks Willow River, Minn. | Fox21Online — Pipe fractured in Pine County explosion was ‘susceptible to integrity issues’
A 20-inch Northern Natural Gas transmission pipeline ruptured at approximately 1:43 p.m. in a rural area west of Willow River, igniting the released gas in two locations roughly 1,000 feet apart. Twin columns of fire rose into the sky. Multiple residences were evacuated. 650 Minnesota Energy Resources customers across Willow River, Sturgeon Lake, and Finlayson lost natural gas service — and therefore heat — with wind chills below zero. No injuries. PHMSA issued a Corrective Action Order the day after the explosion. The failed pipe segment was 67 years old (manufactured 1959) with API 5L X52 low-frequency electric resistance welded (LF-ERW) longitudinal seam by Youngstown — a vintage known to be susceptible to selective seam corrosion, hook cracks, and inadequate bonding. Northern Natural Gas is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Temporary supply was trucked in; service fully restored by January 20–21.
February 3 — Delfin LNG Pipeline, Cameron Parish, Louisiana ⚡ 📰 Bloomberg — Pipeline Explodes at Delfin LNG Planned Project in Louisiana
A 42-inch natural gas pipeline exploded during maintenance operations near Holly Beach, releasing an estimated 56 million cubic feet of gas and igniting a fire 50 to 80 feet wide that burned for several hours. The blast ejected sections of pipe and left a crater near the shoreline. One worker sustained critical injuries and has since filed a lawsuit. The pipeline — nearly 50 years old and decommissioned for over a decade — had been reactivated for a proposed offshore LNG export terminal expedited by the Trump administration. Federal investigators determined a cleaning tool (”pig”) struck a closed valve after gas was reinjected into the line. PHMSA opened a formal investigation and suspended operations. The incident indefinitely delayed the project’s final investment decision.
February 13 — Ñico López Refinery, Regla, Havana, Cuba ⚡ ❓ 📰 Al Jazeera — Fire at Havana oil refinery as Cuba’s fuel crisis deepens | France24 — Havana refinery fire under control as Cuba battles fuel shortages | MercoPress — Major fire hits Havana’s Ñico López refinery amid Cuba’s energy crunch | Reuters via Outlook India — Cuba Oil Refinery Fire Worsens Fuel Crisis Amid US Restrictions
A fire broke out shortly after 3:00 p.m. at the Ñico López Refinery in the Regla municipality of Havana — one of Cuba’s three operating refineries. The blaze originated in a warehouse storing an obsolete additive product. Firefighters from the refinery’s own brigade responded alongside multiple Havana fire commands. The fire was contained without spread to the adjacent fuel storage tanks. Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines reported no injuries; refinery operations continued. Cause under investigation.
Critical context: The fire occurred during a severe Cuban fuel emergency. On January 3, US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, after which the Trump administration ordered an end to Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened tariffs on any country that filled the gap. No foreign fuel or oil tankers had arrived in Cuba in weeks. The Cuban government had activated emergency measures — shuttered universities, reduced school hours and the work week, and slashed public transport — to conserve fuel stocks. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a humanitarian “collapse” if Cuba’s energy needs went unmet. The Ñico López refinery was nationalized in 1960 and has been in operation for decades.
March 1 — Esmeraldas Refinery (Petroecuador), Esmeraldas, Ecuador ⚡ ❓ 📰 Reuters via OilPrice.com — Fire Disrupts Operations at Ecuador’s Biggest Refinery
A fire broke out in the charging pumps of the SEVIA unit at Ecuador’s largest refinery — the 110,000 barrel-per-day Esmeraldas facility operated by state-owned Petroecuador. Operations were fully suspended as a precaution. The SEVIA unit processes vacuum residue into fuel oil. No injuries were reported. Cause not disclosed. This was the third fire at Esmeraldas in nine months. Operations resumed after technical evaluation.
March 2 — Entergy Substation, Lake Charles, Louisiana ⚡ ❓ 📰 KPLC 7News — Entergy Substation on Fire off Big Lake Road
An explosion at an Entergy electrical substation off Big Lake Road sent black smoke over southern Lake Charles and knocked out power to approximately 4,500 customers. Entergy officials stated the explosion “came out of nowhere.” No injuries were reported. Cause remains undetermined.
March 5 — Global Warehouse Solutions, Miami-Dade, Florida 📦 ❓ 📰 CBS Miami — More than 200 firefighters battle massive warehouse fire in Miami-Dade
A fifth-alarm fire broke out at a large commercial warehouse at 20600 NW 47th Avenue in northwest Miami-Dade. The facility was described by fire officials as roughly twice the size of a Costco. The roof collapsed. An air quality alert was issued for residents within a five-mile radius. Fire officials warned the blaze could burn for multiple days. No injuries were reported. Cause remains under investigation.
March 5 — Petromax Refining Company, Channelview, Texas ⚡ ❓ 📰 Click2Houston / KHOU — Fire involving tanks at east Harris County refinery under investigation
Multiple storage tanks caught fire at approximately 8 p.m. at the Petromax Refining Company on Sheldon Road in east Harris County. The Channelview Fire Department responded alongside the facility’s own fire brigade. Hazardous materials crews were called as a precaution. The fire was extinguished. All personnel accounted for. No injuries. Cause under investigation.
March 9 — John Amos Power Plant, Putnam County, West Virginia ⚡ ❓ 📰 WSAZ NBC — Explosions heard after fire at power plant
Residents near the John Amos Power Plant woke before dawn to a series of explosions as a non-generating building at the facility caught fire and burned to the ground. Fire officials attributed secondary explosions to pressurized air cylinders inside the structure. The fire did not affect power-generating units and no hazardous materials were released. No injuries were reported. Cause remains undetermined.
March 10 — Orange & Rockland Substation, Orangetown, New York ⚡ ❓ 📰 Rockland News — Orange & Rockland Substation Explosion Causes 2nd Major Power Outage
A fire at an Orange & Rockland electrical substation in Orangetown triggered widespread outages across southern Rockland County. The incident was the second significant O&R outage event within a single week. One advocacy group flagged the fire as a possible indicator of grid strain. No definitive cause has been publicly released.
March 12 — LyondellBasell Bayport Choate Plant, Pasadena, Texas ⚡ ❓ 📰 ABC13 Houston — LyondellBasell Bayport fire: Chemical plant fire in Pasadena contained
A fire broke out at approximately 9 p.m. at LyondellBasell’s Bayport Choate chemical plant, one of the world’s largest producers of propylene oxide and propylene glycol. The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office determined a process upset released a flammable product ignited by the pilot light of a flaring operation. Two tanks caught fire. Multiple agencies responded. The fire burned for several hours and was extinguished by early Friday morning. No injuries were reported.
March 17 — Olmeca (Dos Bocas) Refinery Perimeter, Paraíso, Tabasco, Mexico ⚡ ❓ 📰 Mexico Business News — Dos Bocas Fire, Mexican Crude Hikes: The Week in O&G
Heavy rains caused oily water to overflow the perimeter fence of the Pemex Olmeca refinery. Security footage showed the fire was triggered when a vehicle drove through a pooled hydrocarbon residue mixture, generating a spark. Five people were killed — one Pemex employee and four subcontractors. Approximately 100 workers required medical attention. The Mexican Attorney General’s office (FGR) opened a criminal investigation. A crude oil spill was detected in the adjacent Río Seco waterway the following day.
March 23 — Valero Port Arthur Refinery, Port Arthur, Texas ⚡ 📰 AP News — Fire Out and Shelter-In-Place Order Is Lifted After Oil Refinery Explosion Near Texas Coast
An uncontrolled release of process fluid inside Complex 2 ignited and cascaded through six major processing units including the crude distillation unit, diesel hydrotreaters, fluid catalytic cracker, hydrocracker, hydrofluoric alkylation unit, and sulfur recovery units. Windows shook miles away. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the west side of Port Arthur for roughly 12 hours. A subsequent TCEQ report found 157,000+ pounds of chemicals released over 244+ hours. The diesel hydrotreater is expected to remain offline for an extended period. Officials stated no reason to believe the explosion was anything other than an industrial accident. No fatalities or injuries reported.
April 3 — ONGC Mumbai High SHP Platform, Offshore Mumbai, India ⚡ ❓ 📰 Deccan Herald — 10 injured in fire at ONGC platform in Mumbai High oilfields
A fire broke out at approximately 5:45 p.m. on the SHP Platform of ONGC’s Mumbai High asset — India’s largest offshore producing oilfield. On-site emergency teams extinguished the fire. Ten personnel sustained minor injuries; all are reported stable. Operations were normalized following safety clearances. Cause undetermined.
April 7 — Bhilai Steel Plant Power Plant-2, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India ⚡ ❓ 📰 India TV News — Bhilai Steel Plant fire: Seven workers injured after massive fire erupts
An explosion in the 25 MW Steam Turbo Generator-4 (STG-4) turbine unit of Power Plant-2 at Bhilai Steel Plant triggered a massive fire, sending thick black smoke across the turbine hall. The plant is one of India’s largest steel facilities and a flagship unit of state-owned SAIL. Seven workers were hospitalized with burns and gas exposure; all are reported stable. Three fire tenders responded. Fire was brought under control. Probe initiated. A similar fire had occurred at the same plant’s Steel Melting Shop in January 2026.
April 7 — Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center, Ontario, California 📦 ⚠️ 📰 AP via NBC News — Man facing federal charges for allegedly setting massive fire that destroyed warehouse
Shortly after midnight, a warehouse employee began setting fire to multiple pallets of paper products inside a 1.2-million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark distribution center. The employee, Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, filmed himself starting the fires and posted video to social media, stating “all you had to do was pay us enough to live.” He compared his actions to those of Luigi Mangione. The six-alarm fire required 175 firefighters and nearly 12 hours to contain. The facility was declared a total loss. Estimated damage: $600 million. The warehouse served approximately 50 million consumers. Abdulkarim was charged federally with arson and by California with aggravated arson. He has pleaded not guilty. No injuries.
April 7 — Bridge of the Americas / La Boca Fuel Terminal, Panama City, Panama 📦 ❓ 📰 Maritime Executive — Tanker Truck Blast Closes Bridge Over Panama Canal
A fuel tanker explosion at a tank farm in Panama City’s La Boca neighborhood sent a fireball skyward that briefly engulfed the Bridge of the Americas — the only road crossing over the Panama Canal. 1 killed, multiple injuries including firefighters. The bridge was closed to road traffic for safety inspections while canal vessel traffic continued underneath. Disrupted logistics operations near Panama Oil Terminals. Cause under investigation; the incident drew additional scrutiny given the geopolitical sensitivity of the canal during the ongoing Hormuz closure.
April 8 — Amazon Fulfillment Center, West Jefferson, Ohio 📦 📰 Substack — Six Warehouse Fires in Five Days: What Is Happening Across the United States
Rooftop solar panels at an Amazon fulfillment center caught fire, triggering the evacuation of thousands of employees and a response from ten fire engines plus mutual aid. Fire officials confirmed solar panels as the working theory. Limited structural damage occurred; significant water damage from sprinkler activation. Amazon had at least six prior rooftop solar fires at fulfillment centers between 2020 and 2021. No injuries. Formal investigation ongoing.
April 9 — Olmeca (Dos Bocas) Refinery, Paraíso, Tabasco, Mexico ⚡ ❓ 📰 Mexico News Daily — Another fire breaks out at Pemex’s Dos Bocas refinery on the Gulf Coast
A fire broke out in the coke storage warehouse of the Pemex Olmeca refinery, producing dense columns of black smoke visible five kilometers away. More than 150 PEMEX specialists responded alongside the Navy and Army. Confined to the storage area; operations continued. This was the fourth safety-related incident at the facility within 23 days. No injuries. Cause undisclosed.
April 9–ongoing — Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Deurganck Dock, Belgium 📦 📰 France24 — Antwerp port reopens to North Sea shipping after oil spill
A hull crack in the container ship MSC Denmark VI during a bunkering operation at Deurganck Dock caused a major oil spill into the Scheldt River overnight on April 9. The leak was not detected until the following morning. No large vessels could enter or leave Europe’s second-busiest port for much of April 10; dozens of ships were affected. The oil slick spread at least three kilometers along the Scheldt, contaminating protected nature reserves in Belgium and the Netherlands including Het Land van Saeftinghe and the Hedwigepolder. Dutch authorities detected oil-contaminated birds in affected breeding grounds. Cleanup expected to take several weeks. Official investigation launched. No injuries.
April 9 — Chemical Warehouse, Ironbound District, Newark, New Jersey 📦 ❓ 📰 Substack — Six Warehouse Fires in Five Days: What Is Happening Across the United States
A three-alarm fire broke out at a chemical storage warehouse at 104 Lister Avenue in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood. More than 100 firefighters responded alongside the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Seven ladder trucks were raised simultaneously. A drone was deployed to locate remaining hotspots. The specific chemicals stored have not been publicly disclosed. No injuries. Cause under investigation.
April 10 — Lumber Warehouse, College Point, Queens, New York 📦 ❓ 📰 QNS — Hundreds of firefighters battle massive 5-alarm warehouse fire in College Point
A five-alarm fire broke out at a 64,000-square-foot warehouse and lumberyard at 130-17 23rd Avenue in College Point, Queens. The FDNY transmitted a fifth alarm bringing approximately 300 firefighters and 90 units. Eight tower ladders surrounded the structure. Firefighters were forced to abandon interior operations. The building burned through the night and was declared a total loss. Smoke was visible from the Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges and as far north as Westchester County. No injuries. Cause under investigation.
April 11 — Abandoned Warehouse, East Bakersfield, California 📦 ❓ 📰 KGET 17 News — Warehouse fire under investigation after string of fires in southeast Bakersfield
Multiple crews from Kern County and Bakersfield Fire Departments responded to a fire at an abandoned warehouse at 99 Washington Street filled floor-to-ceiling with bales of plastic. Heat was sufficient to buckle and collapse the steel frame. A large smoke plume was visible across Bakersfield and into the surrounding county. The property has a documented history of repeated fires, with prior incidents in January and March 2025. No injuries. Cause under investigation.
April 14 — Vedanta Chhattisgarh Thermal Power Plant, Sakti District, India ⚡ ❓ 📰 National Herald India — Vedanta power plant blast toll rises to 19; probe ordered
A catastrophic boiler explosion killed at least 19 workers and injured dozens more. District officials attributed the blast to the rupture of high-temperature hot water pipes connected to the boiler. Many victims were in the plant’s meal area and suffered severe burns from scalding water. The facility is a 1,200 MW thermal power plant acquired by Vedanta Limited in 2022. A formal investigation was ordered. This is among the deadliest industrial energy accidents globally in 2026.
April 15 — Amazon Warehouse, Compton, California 📦 🚨 📰 Compton Today — Compton Warehouse Fire Erupts After Worker Death at Amazon
A fire broke out at an Amazon warehouse in Compton following the death of a worker at the facility and reports that a manager prohibited coworkers from rendering aid. Reported by contemporaneous media as the seventh significant US warehouse fire in approximately one week. Whether the fire was intentionally set has not been officially confirmed. Investigation ongoing.
April 15–16 — Viva Energy Geelong Refinery, Geelong, Victoria, Australia ⚡ 📰 Bloomberg — Geelong Oil Refinery Fire to Curtail Australia’s Already Tight Fuel Production
A gas leak ignited at the Viva Energy refinery in Corio, Geelong late on April 15, triggering a chain of explosions and producing flames estimated at 60 meters (200 feet) in height. Fire Rescue Victoria confirmed equipment failure as the cause. The refinery is one of only two operating oil refineries in Australia, processing 120,000 barrels per day and supplying more than 50 percent of Victoria’s fuel. The motor gasoline production unit was directly impacted; the facility dropped to minimum operating rates. Australia’s Energy Minister warned against panic buying, noting Australia holds approximately 38 days of petrol reserve — well below the IEA’s 90-day minimum. All staff accounted for. No injuries.
April 17 — Hattar Industrial Estate Gas Pipeline, Haripur, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan ⚡ ❓ 📰 Dawn / Pakistan Today — Haripur gas pipeline fire kills 8, injures 11 | The Express Tribune — Gas pipeline explosion in K-P’s Haripur leaves 8 dead
A 16-inch Sui Northern Gas supply line burst near Colony Mor, Kot Najibullah, in the Hattar Industrial Estate, triggering a fire that spread to three to four nearby residential houses. 8 killed (3 children, 2 girls, 2 elderly women, 1 man — all from one household), 11 injured. Fire brigade teams from five districts responded. Suffocation identified as primary cause of deaths. Hazara Commissioner formed a seven-member inquiry committee. Cause of pipeline burst under investigation; preliminary reports suggest technical fault or pressure buildup.
April 18 — BP Cherry Point Refinery, Blaine, Whatcom County, Washington ⚡ ❓ 📰 Cascadia Daily News — BP refinery incident being examined by state labor and air agencies | Seattle Times — At least 3 hurt in incident at BP Cherry Point refinery in Whatcom County
Witnesses in the surrounding area reported hearing a loud explosion at approximately 10:20 a.m. Emergency crews from Whatcom County Fire District 7 responded and transported 3–4 workers to hospital; one required advanced life support, two required basic life support. BP evacuated all other personnel as a precaution. The refinery processes approximately 235,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is one of the largest on the US West Coast. The incident was described by state officials as “strictly a release to air” with no water impact. BP, the Northwest Clean Air Agency, and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries are all investigating. Cause has not been disclosed.
April 20 — HPCL Rajasthan Refinery (HRRL), Pachpadra, Balotra District, Rajasthan, India ⚡ ❓ 📰 The Federal — Fire at HPCL Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan; inauguration by PM Modi postponed
An explosion in a heat exchanger in the CDU-VDU (Crude and Vacuum Distillation Unit) section triggered a fire at approximately 2 p.m. Dozens of fire tenders from Balotra and surrounding areas responded; the blaze was controlled in approximately two hours. No casualties. Cause under investigation by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The timing is notable: the refinery was scheduled for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21, one day after the fire. That ceremony has been postponed indefinitely. The HRRL is India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, a joint venture between HPCL and the Rajasthan state government, built at an estimated cost of ₹79,459 crore (~$9.5 billion USD). Planned capacity: 9 million metric tonnes per annum. Commercial production targeted for July 1, 2026.
April 20 — Martin Lake Power Plant, Tatum, Rusk County, Texas ⚡ 📰 KLTV — 6 people injured after electrical event at Martin Lake Power Plant | KETK — 6 hospitalized following electrical explosion at East Texas power plant | CBS19 — Six injured in Martin Lake Power Plant electrical event in Tatum | Longview News-Journal — ‘Electrical incident’ at Rusk County’s Martin Lake Power Plant injures 6
An arc flash event at approximately 2:50 p.m. injured six contractor personnel at the 2,250 MW Martin Lake coal-fired power plant. Two workers were airlifted to area hospitals with severe burns; four others transported by ground ambulance. The plant is operated by Luminant, a subsidiary of Vistra Corp., and is one of the largest coal-fired generating facilities in Texas. OSHA opened an investigation. This was the third serious incident at the facility in 18 months: a turbine fire occurred in November 2024 and a pre-boiler explosion in March 2025 injured three workers. The injured were contractors, not Luminant employees.
April 20 — H&P Drilling Well Site, Etoile, Nacogdoches County, Texas ⚡ ❓ 📰 AP / KERA News — A well site explosion triggers a large fire and evacuations in Texas, but no injuries
An explosion at a natural gas or oil well site operated by Helmerich & Payne (H&P Drilling) set off a large fire visible for miles and prompted evacuations of nearby residents in Etoile, approximately 20 miles from Nacogdoches. No injuries. The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office received numerous calls late Monday night. TCEQ notified. Cause under investigation.
April 20 — CET Vest Combined Heat and Power Plant, Bucharest, Romania ⚡ ❓ 📰 Adevărul — Incendiu violent la CET Vest: trei transformatoare electrice în flăcări, intervin 8 autospeciale
A major fire broke out Monday evening at CET Vest, a combined heat and power plant supplying Bucharest. Three electrical transformers caught fire; Romania’s Energy Minister later described the damage as “significant,” with two major transformers destroyed. Approximately 30 tonnes of transformer oil burned. Eight fire engines responded; open flame was extinguished, though crews continued cooling operations. Power supply to the surrounding area remained stable, but hot water distribution across Bucharest was severely disrupted. Utility operator Termoenergetica warned that full repairs could take up to one year if replacement follows existing technical configuration. No casualties. Cause under investigation.
April 20 — River Port, Homalin Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar 📦 ❓ 📰 MENAFN / Mizzima — Fire Breaks Out at Myanmar Port, Killing Two | ANews — 2 killed, 11 injured in massive fire at river port in Myanmar
A fire broke out Monday evening at a river port near a monastery in Homalin township, rapidly consuming the waterfront area. At least 22 motorized boats and 2 vehicles were destroyed. 2 killed, 11 injured, several in critical condition. Emergency crews responded with multiple fire engines; the fire continued burning into Tuesday morning. Early indications point to a fuel-loading operation as the likely ignition source. Large volumes of fuel stored aboard docked vessels are believed to have amplified the fire and triggered secondary explosions. Cause under investigation. Note: Deutsche Presse-Agentur reporting on this incident references a prior similar fire at the same port in March 2026 in which at least 6 people were killed when two fuel tankers caught fire during fuelling operations; that prior incident has not yet been independently sourced to a datestamped English-language article and is not counted separately in this tracker.
April 23 — GRIDCo Akosombo Substation, Eastern Region, Ghana ⚡ ❓ 📰 Graphic Online — Fire at Akosombo substation disrupts power supply across Ghana | B&FT — Fire at GRIDCo control facility leads to Akosombo plant shutdown
A fire broke out at approximately 2:01 p.m. in the control building of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation adjacent to the Akosombo Generating Station — Ghana’s largest hydroelectric facility, operated by the Volta River Authority. The fire was isolated to the control room, not the switchyard, but forced the shutdown of the entire Akosombo plant as a safety measure. Contingency actions to stabilize the national grid took substations at Kasoa, Mallam, and Asiekpe offline, triggering power cuts across multiple regions. The Akosombo Substation is the critical transmission node linking Volta River Authority generation to distribution utilities and bulk customers nationwide. Ghana National Fire Service responded; GRIDCo mobilized technical teams to the System Control Centre to coordinate grid stability. Cause undetermined.
April 25 — Dong Anh waste oil storage facility, Hanoi, Vietnam ⚡ ❓ 📰 Báo Lao Động — Cháy lớn tại khu chứa dầu thải ở Đông Anh, Hà Nội | VietnamPlus — Major fire at warehouse in Dong Anh district | VTC News — Cháy lớn nhà xưởng chứa dầu thải tại Đông Anh | Báo Thanh Niên — Hà Nội: Cháy lớn tại khu vực chứa dầu thải ở Đông Anh
A fire broke out at approximately 6:36 p.m. at a warehouse storing waste oil and chemicals in Lo hamlet, Loc Ha village, Dong Anh commune. Black smoke columns rose tens of meters into the air, visible from across northern Hanoi. Approximately 90 firefighters from seven Fire and Rescue regions responded. The fire was contained by 7:33 p.m. No casualties reported. The Hanoi Police Department issued a statement; cause under investigation.
April 27-28 — Shell Norco Refinery, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana ⚡ ❓ 📰 WWLTV — Shell Norco refinery fire contained after burning for 10 hours | NOLA.com — Fire at Shell Norco refinery in St. Charles Parish | Fox8Live — Shell Norco refinery fire | OPIS via MarketScreener — Shell Norco operations after refinery fire
A hydrogen and gas leak preceded an explosion at the 250,000 barrel-per-day Shell Norco refinery shortly before 10:45 p.m. Monday. The resulting blaze burned for approximately 10 hours before being contained. No injuries were reported and no shelter-in-place order was issued for surrounding communities. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) opened an investigation. Cause undetermined as of last public update. Context: the Louisiana Bucket Brigade has documented more than 260 accidents at Shell Norco over the past decade. The Norco facility is one of the largest refineries on the US Gulf Coast.
May 7 — Olmeca (Dos Bocas) Refinery, Paraíso, Tabasco, Mexico ⚡ ❓ 📰 Expansión — Los accidentes en la refinería Dos Bocas evidencian los ‘vicios ocultos’ por una construcción a contrarreloj | Sopitas — ¿Qué está pasando con Pemex? Al menos 6 incidentes en abril y marzo de 2026 | Infobae — Pemex en Llamas: Cuatro meses, múltiples derrames y una refinería que acumula muertes
A vapor emanation was reported from a storage tank at the Pemex Olmeca refinery — the third incident at the facility in less than seven weeks (following the March 17 perimeter fire that killed five and the April 9 coke warehouse blaze). Pemex provided minimal public detail about the event. Mexican energy consultancy GMEC, in remarks to Mexican press, said Pemex would not be transparent about the real origin of the failures at the refinery. Industry analysts attribute the recurring problems at Dos Bocas — Mexico’s flagship $21 billion energy project and its first new refinery in forty years — to construction shortcuts taken to meet political deadlines under the previous López Obrador administration, with operational complexity now being absorbed in the form of incidents. The facility has never operated at more than approximately 60 percent of its 340,000 bpd nameplate capacity. Spanish-language tallies put cumulative Dos Bocas deaths since operations began at eight. The reported May 7 emanation: cause undisclosed; no casualties.
May 8 — PBF Energy Chalmette Refinery, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana ⚡ ❓ 📰 Insurance Journal — Explosion and Fire at New Orleans Area Refinery to Cause Production Disruption | AP via ABC News — Fire out at Louisiana refinery after explosion rattles New Orleans area | Reuters — Fire at PBF Chalmette refinery contained | WWLTV — Explosion at Chalmette Refining sends smoke over New Orleans | NOLA.com — Chalmette refinery explosion investigation
A reformer heater failed in the 17,500 barrel-per-day reformer unit at the 189,000 bpd PBF Energy Chalmette refinery at approximately 12:50 p.m. CDT, triggering an explosion and fire. The blast was felt across multiple New Orleans neighborhoods including Bywater and Algiers. A school in St. Bernard Parish briefly went into lockdown. The fire was contained within approximately 10 minutes. No injuries reported. The Chalmette refinery was built in 1915, making it one of the oldest operating oil refineries in the United States. Bloomberg reported the refinery had completed a month-long maintenance program in late April 2026, just before the fire.
Critical context: On March 20, 2026 — seven weeks before the fire — Glynn Montelongo, the refinery’s lead mechanical integrity inspector since 1996 (terminated March 2025), filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging deferred maintenance and corrosion concerns at the facility. A 2023 EPA Clean Air Act notice of violation remains on file. Cause of the May 8 fire under investigation.
May 11 — HF Sinclair West Tulsa Refinery, Tulsa, Oklahoma ⚡ ❓ 📰 Tulsa World — Fire reported at HF Sinclair refinery in west Tulsa | Fox23 — Crews respond to fire at HF Sinclair refinery in west Tulsa | KRMG — HF Sinclair Tulsa refinery fire contained | News On 6 — Fire at HF Sinclair refinery in west Tulsa | KOCO 5 — Worker hospitalized after fire at HF Sinclair refinery
A fire broke out at approximately 10:45 a.m. Monday at the HF Sinclair West Tulsa Refinery (approximately 85,000 bpd). The facility’s internal fire brigade contained the blaze. One worker was transported to hospital. Tulsa Fire Department and Berryhill FD were on standby. Cause undetermined. Context: this is the second HF Sinclair facility fire within approximately six months. The company’s Navajo refinery in Artesia, New Mexico burned on October 31, 2025.
May 11 — Pemex Antonio Dovalí Jaime (Salina Cruz) Refinery, Oaxaca, Mexico ⚡ 📰 Reuters via US News — Fire at Pemex Salina Cruz refinery kills one, injures five | Infobae — Incendio en Refinería de Salina Cruz: muere trabajador con quemaduras al 80% | El Financiero — Pemex confirma muerte tras incendio en refinería Salina Cruz | Expansión — Accidente en refinería de Salina Cruz deja muerto y heridos | CGTN — Fire at Pemex refinery in Mexico kills one
A fire broke out at approximately 8:30 p.m. during the commissioning of cooling tower TE-05 at the Hidros II plant of the 325,000 bpd Antonio Dovalí Jaime refinery — the largest refinery on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Six people were injured, including three Pemex employees (two women) and three contractors. Victor Hugo López Matus, who sustained third-degree burns over 80% of his body, died from his injuries on May 12. Oaxaca Civil Protection director Manuel Alberto Maza identified the cause as welding work conducted in the presence of undrained fuel residue. The facility partially shut down (per Reuters via IIR Energy). This is the second major fire at Salina Cruz in 2026: a Unit 801 fire occurred in January.
Critical context: Pemex’s Q1 2026 BMV filings showed accident rates increased 39 percent (from 0.28 to 0.39 per million man-hours) and the severity index rose from 15 to 17 days lost per million man-hours.
May 11 — Platform Habitat (Pitas Point Unit), Santa Barbara Channel, California ⚡ 📰 LA Times / FireRescue1 — Fire on Southern California oil platform forces evacuation of 26 workers | KTLA — Workers rescued after offshore natural-gas rig goes up in flames near Santa Barbara | US Coast Guard via edhat — Fire Erupts on Offshore Platform Habitat near Carpinteria; 26 Workers Evacuated | WorkBoat — Oil platform catches fire off the California coast | Daily Gazette via TNS — Oil rig off Southern California coast catches fire
A gas leak ignited during decommissioning operations at Platform Habitat, an offshore oil and natural gas rig located 7.5 nautical miles off Carpinteria in the Santa Barbara Channel. The fire began at approximately 6:30–7:00 a.m. Pacific time. All 26 workers on the platform were evacuated; two sustained minor injuries. The US Coast Guard, Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol, Santa Barbara County Fire, Santa Barbara City Fire, and Ventura County Fire all responded. A 1,000-yard safety zone was established. The fire was contained by approximately 11 a.m. after a safety valve was closed.
Platform Habitat is part of the Pitas Point Unit, owned and operated by DCOR LLC. The platform was built in 1981 and began pumping crude oil in 1983. Its federal lease expired in 2016, per Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement records. Over its lifetime, the platform produced more than 232 million cubic feet of natural gas and fewer than 250,000 barrels of crude oil — primarily a natural gas facility. The fire occurred amid the Trump administration’s push to open the Pacific Coast to oil drilling for the first time in more than four decades and against the backdrop of a controversial proposal to revive three long-dormant platforms north of Habitat — platforms shuttered after a pipeline rupture in 2015 caused one of California’s worst oil spills.
PRODUCTION HALTS
Capacity reductions resulting from economic or policy decisions, not kinetic events
December 2025–ongoing — Mosaic Araxá & Fospar Phosphate Plants, Brazil 🌱 📰 World Fertilizer — Mosaic reveals plans to close Brazilian fertilizer assets
Mosaic initially curtailed single superphosphate production at its Araxá (Minas Gerais) and Fospar (Paraná) facilities in December 2025 due to a sharp increase in sulfur prices. On April 8, 2026, Mosaic announced the permanent closure and sale of the Araxá Mining and Chemical Complex and indefinite idling of the Patrocínio complex — removing approximately 1 million tonnes per year of phosphate capacity from global markets. The company recorded a pre-tax charge of $350–$400 million. Sulfur prices in Brazil reached $720–730 per metric ton by April, roughly triple the level at which Mosaic first suspended operations.
March 2026–ongoing — QatarEnergy Urea and Ammonia Downstream Production, Ras Laffan, Qatar 🌱 📰 CNBC — Fertilizer prices surge amid Iran war, sparking food security warnings
Following strikes on LNG infrastructure at Ras Laffan in early March (a combat-zone event, excluded from the kinetic section), QatarEnergy independently halted downstream production of urea, ammonia, polymers, methanol, and aluminium. Combined with the Strait of Hormuz closure, this removed a significant volume of fertilizer supply from world markets at the start of the Northern Hemisphere spring planting season. Urea prices rose from roughly $400–490 per metric ton before the conflict to approximately $700 per metric ton by late March. Ammonia rose approximately 20 percent. China simultaneously imposed fertilizer export restrictions to protect domestic supply.
March 2026–ongoing — MOPCO, Abu Qir Fertilizers, and Egyptian Nitrogen Complex, Egypt 🌱 📰 The National — Global fertiliser supply at risk amid Strait of Hormuz blockade | World Oil — Israel halts Leviathan, Karish gas fields after Iran strikes
Israel ordered the shutdown of its Leviathan and Karish offshore gas fields on February 28 at the outbreak of the conflict. Leviathan alone supplies approximately 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Egypt under contract — a flow Egypt’s fertilizer sector is structurally dependent on, with natural gas accounting for roughly 70% of nitrogen fertilizer production costs. The cutoff forced MOPCO (Misr Fertilizers Production Company), Abu Qir Fertilizers, and affiliated Egyptian nitrogen producers into emergency maintenance or full shutdown. Egypt represents approximately 8% of global urea trade; its production capacity has been roughly halved. The disruption compounds a pre-existing pattern: during the June 2025 Israel-Iran confrontation, the same gas cutoff knocked all Egyptian urea output offline for several weeks. Restart timeline is contingent on restoration of Israeli gas flows and remains unconfirmed as of April 20, 2026.
March 20, 2026–ongoing (est. late May) — Yara Pilbara Ammonia Plant, Karratha, Western Australia 🌱 📰 Boiling Cold — Glitch shuts Australia’s biggest maker of vital fertiliser input for two months | Grain Central — Site issue halts Yara’s Pilbara ag ammonia production
A power outage damaged critical equipment at the Yara Pilbara plant on the Burrup Peninsula, forcing a full shutdown of ammonia production. The plant produces 850,000 tonnes of ammonia per year — approximately 5% of the globally traded ammonia market. Restart is not expected before late May 2026 at the earliest, with some assessments placing the outage at 4–6 weeks and others at up to two months. The shutdown also triggered a cascading problem: Orica, which relies on Yara as the principal ammonia supplier to its Queensland ammonium nitrate (explosives) facility, simultaneously disclosed an unplanned outage at its own Kooragang Island ammonia unit in NSW, forcing the mining explosives group to seek spot ammonia on international markets. Most of Yara Pilbara’s output is exported via the Port of Dampier to Asian markets including Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. The timing is described by industry analysts as “worst possible” — the shutdown coincides with the peak pre-seeding urea demand period for Australian farmers and with the near-total loss of Hormuz-routed ammonia supply, which accounts for over 25% of global traded volumes.
One week before the plant went offline, Yara’s own CEO Svein Tore Holsether warned: “If the Strait of Hormuz was closed for a year, it would be catastrophic... you will see significant reductions in the farm yield. This is a regional conflict with global implications, and it goes straight into the food system.” Then his plant went down.
This list will be updated as new information becomes available. Incidents in active combat zones are excluded. Cause determinations reflect official findings or the most recent credible reporting at time of publication.