NOT a single local firefighter was on deck when a Caltex terminal in Sydney sprung a leak, threatening a disaster similar to Canada's devastating fuel explosion.
The NSW government's cost-cutting policy of rolling station closures was scorched by critics on Friday after about 130,000 litres of fuel escaped from the terminal early on Friday morning.
Botany Mayor Ben Keneally said it was a miracle a major incident had been avoided.
"When you have millions of litres of fuel stored, anything can happen," he told reporters.
"Petrol is a volatile liquid and it can go off with a small spark."
The fuel escaped from the terminal at Banksmeadow after a valve malfunction about 1.30am (AEST).
A retaining wall managed to contain the petrol that gushed from a tank containing a total of two million litres of unleaded fuel.
The local fire station at Botany - which was only 3km away - had been closed at 6pm the night before, with its workers directed to fill vacancies at Campsie, 15km away.
Mick Nairn, from the Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU), said two trucks arrived at the scene from Matraville and Maroubra after about ten minutes.
"Fires can always be responded to from stations further away (but) time costs lives - no doubt about it," he told reporters.
"The decision to close any fire station is very dangerous. The government and the fire brigade can't predict where the fires and spills are going to be."
Mr Nairn warned local knowledge was also lost in the process.
"Botany Fire Station regularly conduct drills at Caltex, so they have a much better idea of the layout and the procedures with the staff down there."
Two Caltex workers carrying out maintenance at the time of the spill were doused with fuel and taken to hospital.
But Mr Keneally said it was lucky no one was killed.
"We've all seen the tragic events that occurred in Canada last week when a large amount of fuel ignited," he said.
An oil train came off its tracks and exploded into a huge fireball, destroying the centre of the town of Lac-Megantic and killing up to 50 people.
A suburb like Botany, with its concentration of petro-chemical and chemical plants plus the airport and port, had a high amount of risk, Mr Keneally added.
"If you add an extra five minutes to the response time, you add untrained resources to the response time, you are heightening the risk...
"This is an area of heightened risk and therefore an area that requires 24/7 staffing."
Caltex is now pumping the leaked fuel into a nearby holding tank. It's expected to wrap up in the early evening.
The NSW opposition, the FBEU and Mr Keneally are calling on the government to reverse its policy of temporary closures.
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