$18 million fine levied in fatal Firestone home explosion

DENVER (AP) -- Colorado regulators have fined an Occidental Petroleum Corp. subsidiary more than $18 million for a fatal 2017 house explosion linked to a severed oil and gas well flowline.

The Denver Post reports the fine Monday for Kerr-McGee Corp. is the largest ever levied by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Federal investigators found the explosion in Firestone happened after lines then owned by Anadarko Petroleum likely were severed during the home’s construction. Kerr-McGee was a subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum, which was later purchased by Occidental.

The blast killed two people and injured a third. Kerr-McGee said it has put in place additional safety measures over the past three years.

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