Fire, chemical leak reported at refinery in St. John the Baptist Parish; evacuation order lifted

GARYVILLE, La. (WAFB) - Personnel working at Marathon Petroleum Refinery in St. John the Baptist Parish, along with local emergency officials, responded to a chemical spill and fire at a storage tank at the company’s Garyville refinery on Friday, Aug. 25.

Officials state that the fire is currently under control and has remained within the common containment dike area of two tanks on the refinery’s property. Both tanks have sustained damage.

One firefighter is being evaluated for heat stress according to officials.

Parish officials issued a mandatory evacuation for residents within a two-mile radius of the refinery as a precautionary measure. The order has since been lifted, but River Road remains closed near Marathon.

Marathon Petroleum personnel are procuring catering and personal needs items for evacuees and continue to assess their needs.

Marathon Petroleum personnel are procuring catering and personal needs items for evacuees and continue to assess their needs.

No injuries were reported.

Authorities in St. John the Baptist Parish are responding to a chemical release and storage tank fire at a Marathon petroleum refinery in Garyville.

As a precaution, air monitoring has been deployed in the community.

No off-site impacts have been detected. All regulatory notifications have been made.

An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the release.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Smoke rises from Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Garyville, La.

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