Third-Largest U.S. Oil Refinery Forced to Shut Down Following Devastating Fire in Garyville, Louisiana (VIDEO)
Screenshot: WBRZ/Youtube
A towering inferno erupted at a south Louisiana oil refinery on Friday morning, sending plumes of black smoke and forcing an emergency evacuation of residents within a two-mile radius. Although no injuries were reported, the incident has reignited concerns about the safety of such facilities, especially as it’s the third fire to hit the plant in less than a year.
The fire broke out around 8:30 a.m. at the Marathon Petroleum facility in Garyville, situated about 30 miles northwest of New Orleans, according to WBRZ.
Officials from St. John the Baptist Parish reported that the incident involved a naphtha release and a fire at one of the refinery’s storage tanks. Naphtha is a flammable and toxic kind of raw petrol or gasoline distilled from crude oil and a raw material for the chemical industry,
