Family confirmed that the two men killed in the BP-Husky Toledo oil refinery explosion Tuesday are brothers.
Max and Ben Morrissey died early Wednesday at a University of Michigan medical facility in Ann Arbor, family in Oregon said later in the afternoon.
Max Morrissey was 34 and Ben was 32, Max's wife, Darah Morrissey said.
"Both were the best dads in the world," Mrs. Morrissey said. "Both had very small children."
Max Morrissey had children ages 2 and 4 while Ben Morrissey was the father of a 2-year-old, Mrs. Morrissey said.
Both brothers were graduates of Clay High School where they were wrestlers, Mrs. Morrissey said.
Family members said they had no information on the circumstances involving the explosion at the refinery on Tuesday night.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of these two individuals,” BP spokesman Megan Baldino said in a statement. “All other staff is accounted for and our employee assistance team is on site in Toledo to support our employees impacted by this tragedy.”
There was no word on how it started or the extent of the damage.
The fire was reported around 7 p.m. Tuesday at the refinery at 4001 Cedar Point Rd.
The city of Oregon Fire Department responded as smoke and flames were seen coming from the facility.
A total of 19 Oregon firefighters and five vehicles responded to the call, in which their main job was transporting the injured men initially to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center and assisting BP’s fire response team.
The fire was extinguished Tuesday at around 10:15 p.m., and the refinery was safely shut down and remained offline Wednesday, Ms. Baldino said.
“Our highest priority remains the safety of our staff, the responders and the public and we continue to update local, state, and federal officials,” she said.
The men were members of International Steelworkers Local 1-346, in which approximately 315 members work at the refinery.
Staff representative Eric Sweeney said Wednesday afternoon that union representatives are meeting with company officials at the refinery to determine what happened.
“We’re doing everything we can to help the families and assist the families and the members who lost co-workers,” he said.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officers were on site Wednesday, said Scott Allen, the U.S. Department of Labor's regional director for public affairs and media relations.
As soon as it is safe to get into the facility, they will begin the investigation to determine what caused the accident, he said Wednesday. By law, OSHA has six months to complete an investigation.
In March, 2022, OSHA issued a serious violation and $3,874 fine when employees were exposed to methanol, OSHA records show.
Treating a burn victim is not only of utmost importance, but it is also the most difficult part of a firefighter’s job, Oregon Fire Chief Denny Hartman said.
“As far as a human reaction that’s tough, when someone is tremendously burned,” he said
While firefighters train to battle industrial fires like these, and have trained at the refinery, the situation is always dangerous, the chief said.
“The refinery can be a scary place especially when there is an unusual event like that," Chief Hartman said. "They operate hours and hours and hours in a year without problems, but when there is a problem, it’s a scary place to be.”
Oregon Mayor Michael Seferian posted condolences on the city’s website.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the employees at BP-Husky that lost their lives in the catastrophic fire on Tuesday evening at the refinery,” Mayor Seferian said. “It is such a difficult time especially for the family experiencing this horrific loss, and for so many in our community that knows these families, we all grieve together.”
In a social media update Wednesday, the Steelworkers said they have set up a fund for the families at Croghan Colonial Bank 4157 Navarre Ave., Oregon, Ohio, 43616
Contributions can also be made at the union hall at USW Local 1-346 2910 Consaul St. in Toledo, the post added.
Christopher Howard, whose friends and family work at the facility, said on Wednesday that the aftermath of the explosion has been stressful for those involved with the refinery.
He headed to the site after the explosion to check on the people he knows who work there.
Mr. Howard described a "giant plume of black smoke everywhere."
"I don't know if that flare is usually that big," he said as the fire burned Tuesday night. "I've never seen it that big."
The refinery, just east of Toledo, can process up to 160,000 barrels of crude oil per day and “has been an important part of the region’s economy for more than 100 years,” according to BP’s website.
BP announced last month it had agreed to sell its 50 percent interest in the Husky Toledo refinery to its joint venture partner Cenovus Energy.
First Published September 21, 2022, 6:16 p.m.
