A general view of the Viva Energy Refinery in Corio, Geelong in Australia on March 14, 2026. AAP Image/Joel Carrett
Fire and Rescue Victoria investigators believe a mechanical equipment failure triggered a major blaze at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong just before midnight on April 15.
The fire broke out at the Corio facility, one of only two remaining oil refineries in Australia. The incident occurred at a time of tightening global fuel supply amid the Middle East conflict.
Fire Rescue Victoria Deputy Commissioner Michelle Cowling said that while the fire was “very well contained,” conditions remained too hazardous for crews to approach the source directly.
“It was an equipment failure in the refinery. Viva is looking into that, so there will be a thorough investigation into how this fire started,” she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Cowling said the fire was contained within a section of the plant where fuel is not refined or produced.
Because of the risk of explosion and the height of the tower, approximately 50 firefighters from Fire Rescue Victoria and the Country Fire Authority, along with Viva Energy personnel, utilised remote firefighting.
“Because of the size of the tower that contains LPG, there’s no physical way to get in to actually turn the valve off,” she said.
“In a bit of good news, it’s not impacting diesel, gasoline, or petroleum production. That won’t add to the already stressed fuel issues we’re having.”
The 20 Percent Resilience Gap
Meanwhile, Professor Yuan Chen, from the University of Sydney’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, told the Epoch Times that Australia’s infrastructure carries a “resilience gap.”
