FERNDALE, Wash. -- Officials at the BP Cherry Point Refinery near Ferndale are releasing new details about the cause of last February's Fire.

BP Spokesman Mike Abendhoff says the fire was caused by a ruptured pipe in the distillation tower used to convert crude oil into diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

Abendhoff says the 6 in. pipe corroded over time, and the pressurized fuel inside only needed to be exposed to oxygen to burst into flames.



Nobody was hurt in the fire, but it shut down the refinery affecting local gas supplies.

Abendhoff says the refinery got back up to full production three weeks ago.

He says they've increased monitoring at similar pipes at the refinery to make sure any corrosion is found before the pipes rupture and cause another fire.