One injured in fire Wednesday at Martinez Refining Company
MARTINEZ – A fire broke out Wednesday night at the Martinez Refining Company, injuring one person, officials said.
A worker was refueling a portable generator around 7:50 p.m. when it burst into flames, the company said in a social media post. The worker was evaluated and treated for undisclosed injuries.
The blaze was extinguished, the company said, adding that it issued a Community Warning System Level 1 alert during the incident and notified the appropriate authorities.
An investigation is underway into the incident, the company said.
Around 8:20 p.m., Contra Costa Health announced its hazmat team was responding to a report of a fire at the facility, located in the 3400 block of Pacheco Boulevard.
“We are monitoring to determine if there are any potential health concerns,” the agency said in a social media post. “At this time, we are not aware of any offsite impacts.”
In a follow-up post shortly before 9 p.m., Contra Costa Health said the fire had been extinguished.
The agency said it has asked the Martinez Refining Company to submit a 72-hour report.
The fire is the second at the facility since Feb. 1. Contra Costa Health issued a Level 3 alert in response to the incident. Half a dozen workers were also evaluated by medical personnel and released.
On Thursday, the Martinez Refining Company plans to restart some of the refinery process units that were not involved in last month’s fire. The effort is expected to take roughly two weeks and could result in intermittent flaring, according to the company.
Check back for updates.