Louisiana refinery fire contained, air quality concerns residents.

GARYVILLE, La.—Fire⁣ at Louisiana Oil Refinery Continues to Burn, Residents Concerned

Crews were still working to suppress flare-ups Saturday as a fire at a⁢ Louisiana oil refinery burned for a ⁢second ⁢day along the ​banks of the Mississippi River, while ⁤residents‍ worried⁤ about health effects from ‍the fumes and black ​smoke.

Tests have so ‍far found “non-detectable⁢ air quality impacts” ‌ from ⁢Friday’s massive fire, Marathon‌ Patroleum⁣ said in a emailed statement Saturday. The​ state Department of Environmental Quality and a third-party contractor were conducing‍ the tests.

The​ company said two people were injured and 10 others evaluated ⁢for heat stress. The fire damaged two giant storage tanks⁢ for naphtha, a component in the production of gasoline and jet fuels.

On Friday, orange flames belched​ a column of‌ thick smoke⁣ over the facility in Garyville, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest ‍of New Orleans, forcing residents of the mostly rural area ​to evacuate within a 2-mile (3-kilometer) radius.

“You look outside your house ⁣and the sky is black,” Hilary ⁢Cambre, who lives right next⁢ to the refinery, told WWL-TV on Friday. He ⁣and other residents said they felt nauseous, dizzy and had headaches.

People with respiratory conditions should avoid going outdoors ‌if ‌they ⁤live near the facility, Dr. Rustin Reed with Tulane University’s School of ⁣Public ⁤Health and Tropical‌ Medicine told the television station.

Some schools locked down Friday and two nearby schools served ​as evacuation centers,⁤ the station reported. One resident⁣ described police officers driving around with loudspeakers alerting people to the mandatory‍ evacuation.

The ‌cause ⁣of the fire will be⁣ investigated, the‍ company said.

People who’ve been ⁣affected by the fire‌ and need assistance can call ‍the company’s ⁤toll-free hotline at 866-601-5880.