Apart from the contribution of the higher temperature, it is possible that inappropriate blending of the fuel oil was responsible for the presence of lighter components with low flash point.

Firefighting apparatus and personnel arrived from across the region over the next few hours, including firemen from the port of La Guaira and the nearby Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.

Under any circumstances, extinguishing an open tank fire of that size would have been extremely difficult; lack of water and foam made this task impossible.

During the morning, more than 100 firefighters were employed, later joined by more intervention personnel from other entities, including the Guardia Nacional, Metropolitan Police, and PDVSA technicians among others.

Media personnel, including from Venezolana de Televisión and El Universal newspaper, arrived at the site to provide news coverage.

However, at 12:45 pm, a massive boilover occurred, i.e. a violent overflow due to rapid boiling and vaporization of a layer of water that was found below the fuel oil.

There is now some consensus that small amounts of water were normally found in the fuel oil at each filling operation, then accumulating at the bottom of the tank due to gravity.

In order for a boilover to occur, the burning hydrocarbon mixture must have a wide range of boiling points, including a substantial proportion of volatile components, along with highly viscous residue.

It is therefore theorized that it was the blending of the fuel oil with light fractions that, apart from rendering the hydrocarbon mixture flammable, also made it prone to boilover.

[7] The inferno set fire to people, houses, trees, parked vehicles and boats floating in the sea about 250 meters from the place.

A decisive factor that contributed to the extensive damage radius of the boilover was its location atop a hill, immediately inland of the power station building.

[10] Most of the findings that transpired from the investigation underscored Electricidad de Venezuela's multiple severe process safety failures:[10][11] The report also pointed out that surrounding the tanks were many houses, which should not have been allowed by the authorities.

The case passed to a higher court led by judge María Teresa Salazar, who in December 1984 issued eight arrest warrants against executives of the company with charges of manslaughter, but no one ever went to jail.