GARYVILLE, La. — After four days of fighting a massive fire at the Marathon Petroleum refinery, St John the Baptist Parish leaders say the blaze is fully extinguished.
As of Monday, St. John the Baptist Parish spokesperson Baileigh Rebowe says the fire is now put out.
“The fire has been extinguished. Our response team continues to monitor and maintain control of the impacted area at our Garyville Refinery," Rebowe says.
Marathon executives said a leak of the chemical naphtha, which is used to manufacture gasoline, ignited around a massive storage tank. The company used a dyke to keep the fire from igniting nearby tanks that may have also contained highly flammable materials.
The hazardous fire prompted St John the Baptist Parish leaders to evacuate a two-mile safety zone around the refinery.
The refinery has a colored safety history. State and federal inspections and incident investigation reports from regulators reveal that the Marathon Oil Refinery in Garyville has had some serious problems regarding chemical leaks and fires in recent years.
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