Huge fire breaks out near New York oil refinery
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Flames and smoke rise hundreds of feet in the air over Staten Island.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- An explosion rocked an oil refinery on the edge of Staten Island, sending black smoke and flames hundreds of feet into the air.
"We have a preliminary report that tanker was transferring a product or was being fueled and somehow ignited," Fire Department Chief William Van Wart said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether any of the dozens of oil tanks in the area were burning.
FBI spokesman Steve Kodak in Newark, N.J., said there was no indication of terrorism. However, FBI officials in Washington said they were still examining it because a refinery is the type of infrastructure terrorists might target.
The explosion, which could be heard several miles away, occurred at the edge of Port Mobile, near the Outerbridge Crossing that links the island to Woodbridge, N.J., in the southwestern part of Staten Island, said a spokeswoman for the Staten Island borough office.
It was reported shortly after 10 a.m., according to a spokeswoman for the New York Fire Department. No injuries were immediately reported.
City officials said residents were not in immediate danger.
"At this point, people should not take any special precautions. It's unlikely this could spread to a residential area," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said shortly after the fire was reported.
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