A fire in California left six people injured on Saturday, Feb. 1.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, a fire at the Martinez Refining Company in Martinez, Calif. left six people injured, according to a statement from the company.
The incident also caused The City of Martinez to issue a public health advisory for those in the city and surrounding areas.
Battalion Chief Bob Atlas told ABC-7 that the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District got the report of smoke coming from the company around 1:40 p.m. local time. After the fire grew, the city issued a shelter-in-place warning to the city and surrounding areas.
“Any smoke that burns any combustible element is going to be toxic at some point. We are trying to ascertain what exactly is in the stream of smoke,” said Atlas.
Local Fox affiliate KTVU reported that traffic was also shut down in the area and the facility was evacuated.
It is unclear what caused the fire at the company.
PEOPLE reached out to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District for more information but did not receive an immediate response.
The Martinez Refinery Company wrote in the statement, “Martinez Refining Company (MRC) and Mutual Aid Firefighters have succeeded in getting the fire under their control and remain on site responding to the incident. Our top priorities are the safety and security of responders, as well as maximizing protection of public health and safety.”
The company continued, “You may continue to see residual smoke and flaring. Flares are an essential part of a refinery’s integrated, engineered safety systems designed to safely manage excess combustible gases by burning them off efficiently and effectively.”
The statement confirmed that all six injured individuals “have been released.”
The company shared earlier that four of the six injured people were taken off-site for treatment, while the other two were treated at the facility.
The shelter-in-place alert was “declared for specific neighborhoods near Martinez Refining Company due to smoke from a fire at the facility” around 5 p.m. local time, per a statement from Contra Costa Health.
“Community Warning System sirens will sound in the area every 30 minutes until the event ends,” the statement explained.
The agency added, “The Martinez Refining Company reported a fire at 1:47 p.m. that may affect people with respiratory sensitivities in nearby neighborhoods. Our HazMat team is responding to investigate whether there are community health impacts.”
According to an update to the post, the order has since been lifted for Martinez.
“Air quality in areas near Martinez Refining Company has improved enough that Community Warning System sirens have stopped,” Contra Costa Health wrote. “A Public Health Advisory remains for Martinez, parts of Pacheco, and Clyde.”
During the shelter-in-place order, The City of Martinez shared a statement from Contra Health on Facebook to let residents know what actions should be taken.
“There is an emergency at the Martinez Refining Company. Residents in portions of Martinez, north of the refinery should shelter in place due to impacts from smoke,” the statement read. “Please go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all heaters, air conditioners and fans. If not using the fireplace, close fireplace dampers and vents, and cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damp towels.”
