Tampa sulfur tank catches fire twice in one week

Tampa — For the second time in a week, a fire erupted at a sulfur storage tank at the Port of Tampa Aug. 13. No serious injuries were reported. The tank was in the process of being emptied to prepare it for maintenance. The tank was owned by Gulf Sulfur Services (GSS) and the sulfur was the property of The Mosaic Co., which uses the facility prior to shipment to its phosphate processing plants in the Central Florida area. Although fire officials had not established an exact cause of the fires, a company official said he believed it was the result of rust that fell into the heated sulfur and caused reactions. He added precautions were being taken to avoid a similar incident. At the time, the sulfur was being heated so that the tank could be emptied. GSS delayed calling the Tampa Fire Department for about an hour after the blaze began while it put its in-house plan into action. Although fire officials said they notified nearby residents of the situation, at least one said he had been told of the first fire, but not the second.