Fire rips through oil depot

Firefighters made progress in containing a raging fire at an oil storage depot in Puerto Rico yesterday, but shifting winds threatened to bring the toxic smoke closer to populated areas. Authorities said air quality remained well below toxicity levels that would prompt more evacuations.

An explosion triggered the blaze at the Caribbean Petroleum Corporation's storage depot that spewed a column of black smoke into the sky near the capital San Juan on Friday. Authorities in the US territory evacuated more than 1000 residents.

The fire has destroyed 18 of the storage facility's 40 tanks.