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MIAMI AIRPORT FIRE
By: wolfie Date: March 24, 2011, 5:01 pm
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More delays, cancellations expected from Miami airport fuel fire
Photos
Fuel tank fire at Miami International Airport
Related Content
Your videos of the MIA fire
On the web | Director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department
FACTS ABOUT THE FIRE:
-- There were six tanks at the tank farm. Each of them contained
one million gallons of fuel.
-- A single fuel tank is about 50 feet long and weighs about
66,000 pounds.
-- Firefighters used foam to prevent flames from expanding and
water to cool the tanks.
-- Workers are having to truck the fuel to the airport.
Courtesy of CBS-4
BY CARLI TEPROFF, HANNAH SAMPSON AND JAWEED KALEEM
JKALEEM@MIAMIHERALD.COM
At least 169 flights have been canceled at Miami International
Airport Thursday after a massive overnight fuel tank fire that
has created a major disruption for American Airlines, the
airport’s biggest carrier, and stranded or delayed thousands of
passengers.
Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the fire,
which started late Wednesday night and was under control early
Thursday morning.
In addition to American — which makes up about 70 percent of
MIA’s traffic — other airlines are also reporting flight delays.
The fire, on the airport’s fuel farm on the southeast corner of
the airport, near LeJeune Road, cut off at least 40 percent of
the airport’s fuel supply, said airport spokesman Greg Chin.
Airport authorities are still investigating the cause.
American Airlines spokesman Ed Martelle said the airline doesn’t
yet know how long it will take for the flight schedule to return
to normal.
“It’s kind of one of these cumulative things that’s going to
bite us through today,” he said.
In addition to cancelling flights, Martelle said American is
“trying to do some creative things” such as landing airplanes
with a little more fuel than normal so they can avoid refueling
at Miami and then stop at nearby airports – including Tampa,
Orlando, San Juan and Fort Lauderdale – to fuel up there.
He said it’s unclear how many more flights will have to be
canceled.
Greg Meyer, spokesman for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport, said the airport was expecting three
American Airlines planes to stop for fuel on Thursday: one
heading to Los Angeles fueled up in the morning, another was due
before heading to Saint Lucia and a third was expected in the
afternoon on its way to Vail, Colorado.
On Thursday morning, Miami-Dade Aviation Department director
José Abreu said that he expects flight delays and cancellations
to increase as the day goes on and said he does not know “if
it’s going to be better by the end of the day.” Abreu described
the fuel and flight problems to the county commission as
politicians met to set a special election for county mayor and
District 13 county commissioner in the wake of last week’s
historic recall.
“I wish I could be more exact, but I just don’t know,” he said,
later adding that “it just hasn’t been my day.”
In Concourse C at Miami airport, hundreds of passengers were
waiting Thursday morning.
“I’m supposed to be on the beach right now, but I’m stuck here,”
said Alan Apolidorio, who had taken off on an American Airlines
fight from Sao Paolo, Brazil early in the morning and was
supposed to connect in Miami at 10:05 a.m. for Cancun, Mexico.
Instead, his flight made an unscheduled landing in Puerto Rico
to refuel before coming to Miami. His flight to Cancun is
cancelled.
Hundreds of other passengers are in similar situations.
Tracy Brown, 31, on her way from Jamaica to New York City on
American Airlines, was supposed to connect in Miami. She’s also
stranded.
“I just wish I had someone to call,” a tearful Brown said. “I’m
all alone.” The earliest rescheduled flight she could get was
for 3 p.m. Friday.
Nearby, a flight status board was lit up in with orange
cancellation notices. Airport authorities are asking travelers
to check with airlines for updates.
Read more:
HTML http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/23/2131149/large-fuel-fire-breaks-out-at.html#ixzz1HYahl744
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