Seventh Tesoro fire victim dies

2010-0424_tesoro_victim_death.jpgThe seventh and last victim of the Tesoro refinery fire died early Saturday morning, according to a spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center, where he was being treated for burns. Matt Gumbel had undergone skin graft surgery just a few hours earlier, but doctors could not stabilize his vital signs.

Friday afternoon family members posted a message on Matt's CaringBridge blog that said, "After Matt was brought up to his room they could not get his vital signs stable. He is now back downstairs in emergency exploratory surgery to try and find out what is going on."

He had gone through numerous skin grafts since the fire. 

Gumbel was the last of 7 fire victims to die from burns suffered in the April 2 fire that engulfed the naphtha unit at the refinery on March's Point.

The explosion also claimed the lives of Lew Janz; Matthew C. Bowen, 31, of Arlington; Darrin J. Hoines, 43, of Ferndale; Daniel J. Aldridge, 50, of Anacortes; Kathryn Powell, 29, of Burlington; and Donna Van Dreumel, 36, of Oak Harbor.

A public memorial is set for 2pm Sunday at Brodniak Hall at the high school.

The blast and fire at Tesoro was considered the deadliest event at a U.S. refinery since the deaths of 15 people at a BP refinery in Texas in 2005.

(photo courtesy CaringBridge)