Residents and businesses near an oil industry tank farm in Louisiana were under evacuation orders after the facility caught fire. A shelter in place has been issued due to a crude oil tank fire at Calcasieu Refining Company. The order is for 3 miles. radius around Calcasieu Refining, according to Calcasieu OEP
Residents and businesses near an oil industry tank farm in Louisiana were under evacuation orders and shelter-in-place directives after part of the facility caught fire Saturday, sending a plume toward the Lake Charles region.
It was unknown what caused the fire at Calcasieu Refining Co. There were no reported injuries.
The shelter was given due to the fire of a crude oil tank at the Refinadora de Calcasieu.
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The order is for a 3-mile radius around Calcasieu Refining, according to Calcasieu OEP. According to the Lake Charles Fire Department, the outer limits of a shelter-in-place order have been reduced from 5 miles to 3 miles. Mandatory evacuations were in effect for those up to 1.5 miles away from the tank farm.
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In a statement, the fire department described the fire as a “crude oil tank fire.” Port police were investigating what caused the fire. The facility was the scene of another incident Thursday, according to Port Manager Ricky Self, who also told NBC affiliate KPLC in Lake Charles that the fire may have started somewhere where the ‘engine oil for corporate cars.
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Authorities say a large tank is on fire; the Lake Charles Fire Department described it as a “crude oil tank fire,” but the specific contents burning have not yet been confirmed by multiple sources. While the refinery said lightning was to blame, there are also conflicting stories about how the fire started. Weather RADAR shows numerous storms moving through Louisiana this evening.
Officials at the Lake Charles, La., plant say a lightning strike sparked a fire at the Calcasieu refinery, forcing officials to evacuate areas closest to the refinery as they issue a shelter-in-place order for a wider area. The Calcasieu Refining Company is located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel about five miles southwest of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The plant’s refined products include liquid propane gas, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, jet fuel and vacuum heavy diesel.
