Flash Fire At Superior Refinery Rebuild Site Sends Two To The Hospital With Injuries

Two contract employees working on the rebuild project at the Cenovus Superior Refinery site were injured by a "flash fire" and transported to the hospital.  The incident occured on Friday, July 15 as part of the routine work day.

According to details shared in an article in the Superior Telegram [paywall], "[c]onstruction activity caused a flash fire at about 1:20 PM, injuring two workers who were treated on site and then brought to a local hospital 'for assessment and treatment'".

That same article also included confirmation from the Superior Fire Department.  Their statement mirrored the information about "responding to a medical call involving burns at the refinery"'; it also detailed that the two parties involved were "transported to the hospital".

The flash fire incident occurred at the Cenovus Superior Refinery site - where workers are making repairs and rebuilding from the damage done by the explosion and fire that happened on April 26, 2018 when the plant was owned and operated by Husky Energy.  36 people were injured by that explosion and it resulted in an almost total evacuation of the city surrounding it.

Cenovus Energy recently closed on the refinery with the deal to buy it from Husky Energy being completed last year. Since that time the Canadian-based company has been working to rebuild the refinery site and eventually bring it back on line.

The rebuild that's occurring right now has an estimated price tag of $1.2 billion, which is considerably higher than original estimates.  While the project timeline remains fluid in nature, company officials have set a target date of the first quarter of 2023 to bring the plan back on line.