"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" - Platters, 1958

We've had a terrible incident here in England today. Here's a link to BBC's web coverage.

A large fuel depot in Hertfordshire, co-owned by Total and Texaco (coincidentally, both former employers of mine), exploded around 6am. The fire continues to burn...and probably will for another day or two. The black cloud that's been produced is massive. We saw no evidence of the cloud here in Oxfordshire, but John will likely experience some of the smoke when he gets back home to Hertfordshire later tonight. Because of weather patterns, though, it sounds like much of the smoke cloud could be over the Continent by tomorrow.

What's remarkable about this incident is that (so far at least) no one has been killed. And there have been very few injuries, too, given the severity of the accident.

I'm sure that we weren't the only ones who initially worried that this was a terrorist act. But it seems to have been just a terrible accident. Just a terrible accident...

The media are reporting that this could be the worst incident of its kind in peace-time Britain -- possibly in peace-time Europe. Given the massive demand for gasoline, heating oil, and jet fuel in our world, we have to remember that the stuff has to be stored somewhere. And unfortunately, accidents like this are bound to happen. I'm just happy that no one has died. That's a miracle.

Janet