A chemical release and fire at Marathon Petroleum Co.’s refinery prompted a mandatory evacuation Friday for part of Garyville, with people living and working within a two-mile radius as well as students from at least two schools ordered to leave.
About 8,660 people live within two miles of the oil refinery, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The fire started at about 7 a.m. and burned for much of the day, sending up a huge plume of black smoke that was visible for miles.
The evacuation order was lifted just after 2 p.m., St. John the Baptist Parish officials said. The fire, which damaged two tanks, was under control by then, according to Marathon officials, although firefighters were still checking for flare-ups and intermittent smoke. The company said the fire itself had remained within a containment area on the refinery grounds, despite smoke drifting far beyond.
The burning material was naphtha, a liquid hydrocarbon mixture used as a component to make gasoline, Marathon spokesperson Justin Lawrence said. Naphtha is considered hazardous by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration because it is extremely flammable, irritating to the eyes and respiratory system and harmful or fatal if swallowed.
By midday, parents had lined up to pick up their children at East St. John High School in nearby Reserve. The school is outside the evacuation zone, but some parents who live within it had to leave.
Students of Riverside Academy in Reserve were evacuated there as well, while students from Garyville/Mount Airy Math and Science Magnet School were taken to Lake Pontchartrain Elementary in LaPlace.
Lashonda Melancon, 42, of Reserve was waiting in her car to pick up her 14-year-old niece at East St. John. She said she found out on Facebook that she had to evacuate, but was hesitant to go to a public shelter because that “would be terrible.”
“I’ve got to figure it out,” she said as her niece arrived and jumped into the passenger seat. “I’ve got asthma bad, and this is not good for me.”
