Before investigators figure out how and why a massive fire broke out Tuesday at a fuel storage facility in Crockett, crews still have to declare the area safe.
Two ethanol tanks were destroyed in the explosion and fire that burned 252,000 gallons of fuel for more than six hours at NuStar Energy. But there's still residual ethanol in the site, which was a source of concern on Wednesday for firefighters and other workers.
"We probably dodged some bullets here in the last 24 hours or so," said Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman Steve Hill.
The fire led authorities to shut a section of Interstate 80 for seven hours on Tuesday. The closure caused traffic nightmares for commuters.
County health experts don't expect to see lasting effects from the smoke, despite a shelter in place order that affected residents in Crockett, Rodeo and Hercules.