NEWELL, W.Va. (AP) — A large blaze erupted late Saturday at a petroleum refinery in West Virginia.
Photos and videos shared by news outlets showed the fire at the Ergon plant in Newell. The community is located in the state’s northern panhandle along the Ohio River.
No injuries were immediately reported. Transportation officials closed Route 2 near the refinery while crews fought the fire.
The cause was under investigation, but some local residents told WTOV–TV they felt an explosion.
According to its website, Ergon is a company “engaged in a number of industries related to the refining and marketing of specialty oils, asphalt, thermoplastic resins, petrochemicals, propane, and the necessary infrastructure to support those businesses.”
The company also experienced a fire at its Newell plant nearly two months ago. A news release from April 8 said an unoccupied maintenance shop caught fire but the damage was contained and didn’t involve bulk chemicals.
