Why do the worst fires occur at oil refineries?

Answer 1

It may be an unsupportable assumption that the worst fires occur at oil refineries. Oil refinery fires are usually extinguished quickly and are usually well contained.

It all depends how you define 'worst'.

The most difficult to stop fires tend to be fires in forested lands. The most expensive fires tend to be large commercial buildings. Fires with the highest human death rates tend to be in dense informal urban settlements - so called slums. The most polluting fires tend to be associated with gas flares and well fires in oilfields.

Answer 2

Fires at oil refineries can be particularly severe due to the presence of highly flammable materials like oil and gas, as well as the complex processing equipment that can malfunction and lead to fires. Additionally, the sheer volume of flammable substances present at refineries increases the potential for large-scale fires that can be difficult to control. Lack of proper safety practices or equipment can also contribute to the severity of fires at oil refineries.