Geelong refinery blaze sparks fuel shortage fears

An explosive fire at a Geelong oil refinery – one of Australia’s two remaining refineries and a major supplier of petrol – has been extinguished, but production disruptions remain uncertain. The blaze at Viva Energy’s Corio facility began just after 11pm on Wednesday and burned for about 13 hours before Fire Rescue Victoria declared it under control shortly after noon on Thursday. Authorities say the incident was likely caused by equipment failure and will be investigated by FRV, WorkSafe, Victoria Police, and Viva Energy. No injuries were reported. Early emergency messages urged residents to shelter indoors, later downgraded as air tests showed no contaminants in air or water. A pollution response unit from the Environment Protection Authority arrived at the site. Roads around the refinery remained closed for some time. Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj called the fire unprecedented in scale and said production disruption could affect fuel supplies; the refinery provides about half of Victoria’s fuel and 10% of Australia’s. FRV said firefighters would stay on scene to monitor the site and coordinate with partner agencies to ensure safe operation. Production at the refinery and broader fuel supply impacts will become clearer in coming hours as investigations continue. Residents were able to resume normal activities as the immediate threat subsided.

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