x
Breaking News
More () »

Evacuation lifted for St. John Parish as smoke clouds clear

The area of St. John The Baptist Parish that had been filled with thick black smoke clouds early Friday afternoon now appears mostly clear.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, La. — After a morning filled with thick black smoke, evacuation orders and school alerts; St. John The Baptist Parish officials have lifted the emergency orders related to a chemical fire at the Marathon Petroleum plant in Garyville. 

St John The Baptist Parish officials had evacuated a two-mile radius around the plant. That order has been lifted, according to a statement from Parish President Jaclyn Hotard just after 2 p.m. 

Eyewitness News reporter Paul Murphy had been at the scene in Garyville on Friday, where firefighters battled a growing dark cloud amid nearly triple-digit temperatures. 

The fire apparently started at 7 a.m. and was caused by the release of naphtha, a flammable liquid used to make gasoline. 

The product was leaking out of a storage tank and somehow ignited, According to Justin Lawrence, a spokesperson for Marathon Petroleum.

At 7 p.m., a toll-free number was made available for any community members who have been impacted by the incident and have a claim. The number is (866) 601-5880.

RELATED: Fire at Marathon Petroleum in St. John the Baptist Parish, mandatory evacuation issued

Click here to report a typo.

 Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.

Before You Leave, Check This Out