London
A massive fire at an oil-storage facility north of London burned for two days this week before officials could get it under control. Some 20 fuel tanks ignited, and huge explosions blew out windows of nearby buildings as a massive blanket of pungent black smoke settled over several counties. Firefighters were finally able to smother the blaze with foam. Authorities said it appeared the explosions were caused by an accident, but they declined to completely rule out terrorism. Investigating the source will be difficult because the blaze was so hot, it melted any evidence that might have existed. The depot, owned jointly by Texaco and Total, held 4.2 million gallons of oil.
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