This was an atmospheric storage tank containing diesel fuel that failed under fire conditions. I believe this to be merely a failure of an atmospheric storage tank under fire conditions and the sounds from the video make it appear that the vent was either obstructed or an undersized vent OR the venting we hear just before the FF with the camera gets knocked down is the seam(s) of the tanks ripping open and venting. But besides the technical aspects of this event PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the response (notably the LACK of proper PPE within literally feet from these tanks!). Also in video #2 below, you can see that the plant is still OPERATING with a fire in the tankfarm of the facility. Note the conveyor in the back ground still piling material; maybe the workers evacuated without shutting it down, but the FD should have ordered it shutdown if for no other reason its operation is NOT critical to the task at hand.
What the heck has happened to our fire service?!?! Put on your damn turn-out gear if you are going to be in the danger zone and if leaders can not establish a danger zone and CONTROL who enters the zone then God help us. We loose to many FF’s as it is, and this incident was SHEAR LUCK that no one was killed! Three FF’s were injured when the tank failed, one of them is in serious condition and it did NOT have to be this way!
Video #2