- A fire and chemical leak broke out at an oil refinery in Louisiana — and it can be seen from space.
- Residents within a 2-mile radius were evacuated and some schools were sheltering in place.
A fire at a Marathon Petroleum refinery in Garyville, Louisiana, forced residents within two miles of the factory to evacuate — and smoke from the blaze can be seen from space.
A chemical leak of naphtha, a flammable liquid, and fire broke out Friday at a storage tank at the refinery, which is about 40 miles west of New Orleans, officials told ABC News.
A satellite photo posted online by a meteorologist at the NOAA shows that a yellowish spot of fire and a long trail of black smoke can be seen from space.
Parish president Jaclyn Hotard issued an emergency declaration and mandatory evacuation order for residents within a two-mile radius of the Marathon Petroleum Garyville Refinery, St. John the Baptist Parish said in a statement to Insider.
Some local schools were ordered to shelter in place, school officials posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
Hotard lifted the evacaution order around 2pm local time.
"The fire is currently under control and has remained within the common containment-dike area of two tanks on the refinery's property. Both tanks have sustained damage," Marathon Petroleum said in a statement to Insider, adding that one firefighter is being evaluated for heat stress.
The company said its main priority is ensuring "the safety of our employees and contractors, our neighbors within our surrounding community, first responders, and to limit environmental impact."
Marathon also told Insider it is providing catering and personal needs items to evacuees. It will be opening up an investigation into the cause of the incident.
WWLTV reporter Paul Murphy posted on X that the fire at the refinery appears to be half the size it was several hours earlier, adding that firefighters are still dousing the area with foam and water.