1908 - Massachusetts fire within miles of oil refinery 

Chelsea, Massachusetts is located roughly 4 miles northeast of Boston on a peninsula bordered by the Mystic River, Boston Harbor, and the Chelsea River. At the beginning on the twentieth century, Chelsea was home to many factories and neighborhoods.

On Palm Sunday morning, about 11:00 am, a fire began at Boston Blacking Company, a shoe and shoe adhesive manufacture. With strong winds reaching 40-50 mph, the fire evaded firefighting efforts and quickly spread to nearby homes diminishing nearly one-fourth of Chelsea to burnt rubble. As people began attempting to save personal belongings, the fire moved toward Boston claiming the oil facilities on the shores across the water from Boston.

Boston was home to a large Standard Oil refinery plant that would have wiped out all of Boston, if the fire would have reached it. Firefighters in Boston worked diligently all day to protect the plant; thereby, saving the city from the fire and destruction. Although Boston was spared, the people of Chelsea were not as lucky.

1995 - Unknown cause results in gas explosion in South Korea 

Taegu, South Korea is located roughly 150 miles south of Seoul with an estimated population of 2.2 million people in 1995. At this time, an underground railroad was being constructed through the city with metal sheets covering holes in some areas of the downtown streets.

One April morning around 7:30 am, a gas explosion occurred in the construction area of the railroad forcing some of the sheets of metal into the air. In roughly a 300 yards diameter of the explosion, flames came out of the ground into the air - some as high as 150 feet, while cars caught fire and were catapulted from the original locations.