Fire at Havana oil refinery as Cuba’s fuel crisis deepens

A fire at a key fuel refinery in the capital comes amid Cuba’s mounting fuel emergency due to US-imposed restrictions.Published On 14 Feb 2026A fire broke out at a key fuel processing plant in the Cuban capital Havana, threatening to exacerbate an energy crisis as the country struggles under an oil blockade imposed by the United States.A large plume of smoke was seen rising above Havana Bay from the Nico Lopez refinery on Friday, drawing the attention of the capital’s residents before fading as fire crews fought to bring the situation under control.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Co-founder of Palestine Action: government’s ban on group ‘backfired’list 2 of 4Court orders Trump administration to facilitate deported student’s returnlist 3 of 4US Department of Homeland Security to go into shutdown due to funding lapselist 4 of 4Trump says US will send second aircraft carrier to Middle East ‘very soon’end of listCuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said the fire, which erupted in a warehouse at the refinery, was eventually extinguished and that “the cause is under investigation”. There were no injuries and the fire did not spread to nearby areas, the ministry said in a post on social media.“The workday at the Nico Lopez Refinery continues with complete normalcy,” the ministry said. The location of the fire was close to where two oil tankers were moored in Havana’s harbour.Cuba, which has been in a severe economic crisis for years, relied heavily on oil imports from Venezuela, which have been cut off since the abduction of the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro by United States forces last month.US President Donald Trump has also threatened Cuba’s government and passed a recent executive order allowing for trade tariffs on any country that supplies oil to the island.The country has seen widespread power outages due to the lack of fuel. Bus and train services have been cut, some hotels have closed, schools and universities have been restricted, and public sector workers are on a four-day work week. Staffing at hospitals was also cut back.