
02 Feb 4 Hurt In Martinez Refinery Fire; Residents Urged To Shelter In Place
Sirens go off as smoke bellows from the Martinez Refining Company in Martinez on Saturday. The fire broke out amid flaring at the oil refinery leading to a public health advisory from Contra Costa County Health for residents in the Martinez, Pacheco, and Clyde areas. Flaring is the burning of excess gas that occurs during equipment shutdowns or malfunctions. (Tony Hicks / Bay City News)
By Bay City News
At least four people required medical treatment after a fire Saturday at the Martinez Refining Co. that prompted a shelter-in-place alert for some nearby residents.
The public health alert applied to all of Martinez, parts of Pacheco and Clyde due to smoke from the fire, Contra Costa County Health Services said on the Community Warning System website.
“Three people have been transported off site and one person has been treated and released,” the company said in a statement.
An update on the health department’s Facebook page said the Martinez Refining Co., a subsidiary of PBF Energy Inc., which owns the facility, alerted the county to a fire that broke out during flaring at 1:47 p.m.
Flaring is the burning of excess gas that occurs during equipment shutdowns or malfunctions.
The company and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said firefighters were responding and a Unified Command was set up with the company, the fire district and the City of Martinez.
Other fire departments were called to assist with the coordinated response and keep the fire contained to the 860-acre refinery, the company said.
Sirens were scheduled to sound in the area every 30 minutes until the event ends, according to the warning system.
Several roads were closed including Marina Vista Avenue, from Interstate Highway 680 to Court Street, and Shell Avenue from Marina Vista Avenue to Pacheco Boulevard, the company said.
Contra Costa’s Community Warning System issued a Level 3 alert, the most severe in its four-tier system, which begins at Level 0.
“Residents in portions of Martinez, north of the refinery should shelter in place due to impacts from smoke,” according to the notification system.
“Please go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all heaters, air conditioners and fans,” the health service urged residents. “If not using the fireplace, close fireplace dampers and vents, and cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damp towels.”
While most people would not be affected, eye, skin, nose, or throat irritation may be possible for some people, according to the alert. Anyone experiencing irritation was advised to rinse the affected area with water.
To view county alerts see cwsalerts.com. For information on county Hazmat responses see cchealth.org/hazmat.
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