07 Apr Martinez Refinery Releases Details of Fire That Sent Burned Worker to Hospital

Vehicles travel south on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge over the Carquinez Strait in front of the Martinez Refining Company in on Sept. 24, 2024. (Ray Saint Germain / Bay City News)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

Martinez Refining Company offered more details Friday regarding the fire Wednesday night that splashed burning fuel onto a worker, sending them to the hospital in a medical helicopter.

MRC filed its mandated 72-hour report to Contra Costa Health about the fire, which started at 7:47 p.m. when a portable air compressor caught fire while being refueled by a contract worker.

MRC said “it is currently believed” diesel fuel was splashed on the worker and hot surfaces within the compressor, which ignited fuel on both the compressor and the worker.

The fire affecting the worker was extinguished by nearby contract workers, MRC said in the report.

The fire on the compressor was extinguished by MRC’s fire department and contract emergency responders.

MRC’s firefighters gave medical aid to the worker while a Contra Costa Fire Protection District ambulance was on the way. Con Fire then requested a helicopter to transport the victim to the hospital.

MRC contacted CCH at 7:54 p.m. A community warning system level 1 alert was issued. A level 1 alert typically means a minor incident that is not expected to have off-site health consequences and typically does not require any community action.

The report said no chemicals were released during the fire “beyond a local overfill area near a diesel air compressor being manually filled.” MRC said nothing was released off-site.

CCH sent a hazmat team to the site to monitor for any health impacts, but said Wednesday it wasn’t aware of off-site impacts.
The report said the investigation isn’t complete.

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