A sudden fire tore through a warehouse at Havana's Ñico López oil refinery on Friday afternoon, sending a thick black column of smoke over the bay that residents could see from across the city. Firefighters moved in quickly and brought the blaze under control in about an hour, according to authorities, who said there were no injuries. Officials also stressed that the flames never reached fuel storage tanks and that refinery operations were continuing on normal schedules.
Officials say warehouse blaze was contained fast
Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines posted on X that the fire started in a warehouse and was "already under control" by about 4:20 p.m., with the cause still under investigation, according to Al Jazeera. Refinery director Maikel David Cabrera told state media the fire was limited to a storage area holding "disused" chemical additives and did not spread to processing units, EFE via El Nuevo Día reported.
Fire hits as Cuba struggles with fuel crunch
The incident comes as Cuba grapples with a severe fuel shortage after recent interruptions in crude shipments, a squeeze that has triggered blackouts, shortened workweeks and cuts to public services, according to AFP. Just a day before the blaze, two Mexican navy ships carrying more than 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid arrived in Havana Bay, AP reported.
Residents relive Matanzas fears and eye the tankers
The towering plume was visible from the Regla municipality, and images and video quickly circulated online, as documented by CiberCuba. The Ñico López refinery sits close to densely populated neighborhoods and has been flagged for aging equipment and environmental impacts in Havana Bay, El País noted, details that bring back memories of the catastrophic 2022 fuel-tank fires in Matanzas.
Investigators to probe stored chemicals and tanker activity
Authorities say the cause remains under investigation, and investigators are expected to scrutinize the stored materials and nearby tanker activity as possible factors, MercoPress reported. Video of the smoke column and the emergency response also spread online, with CBS Miami airing footage from the scene that showed the dark plume rising over the bay.
For now, officials insist the refinery is operating normally. Analysts, however, warn that any real damage or future downtime at a key processing site could deepen fuel shortages across the island. This story will be updated as authorities release more details.
