Fire burns intensely at US refinery following hydrocarbon leak

A leak caused an explosion and a large fire at a refinery with a history of problems in California on February 1, leading to a shelter-in-place order for much of the evening as black smoke spread over Martinez, Pacheco, and Clyde.

The fire continued to burn throughout the night, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

All employees on-site were accounted for. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Bob Atlas reported that three workers had sustained minor injuries, though the nature of the injuries was not specified.

Atlas described the fire as "burning intensely," with an undetermined amount of fuel still at the site, and he refrained from giving a timeline for when the fire would be extinguished. 

Authorities stated that the fire was sparked by a hydrocarbon leak, but no further details were available on February 1 evening regarding the cause of the leak or the type of fuel involved in the blaze.

By Naila Huseynova