Ohio oil refinery fire kills 2 people; plant shut down
Sep 20, 2022, 5:52 PM | Updated: Sep 21, 2022, 7:30 am
The BP-Husky Refinery is pictured Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in Oregon, Ohio. A fire at the facility injured two people Tuesday evening and the facility was shut down Wednesday. (David Jacobs/The Blade via AP)
(David Jacobs/The Blade via AP)
OREGON, Ohio (AP) — A fire at an oil refinery in Ohio killed two people and the facility was shut down Wednesday, officials said.
The fire started Tuesday night at BP’s Husky Toledo Refinery, BP spokesperson Megan Baldino said in a statement. There was no word on how it started or the extent of the damage.
Baldino said Wednesday that the two workers had died but did not provide their names or further details about the injuries they sustained. She said all other staff were accounted for and the plant was safely shut down.
The refinery, located just east of Toledo, can process up to 160,000 barrels of crude oil per day and “has been an important part of the region’s economy for more than 100 years,” according to BP’s website.
In addition to its own fire department, the company said it worked closely with local fire crews.
“Our highest priority remains the safety of our staff, the responders and the public,” Baldino said.
BP announced last month it had agreed to sell its 50% interest in the Husky Toledo Refinery to its joint venture partner Cenovus Energy.
The fire happened a few weeks after an electrical fire at a BP refinery in northwest Indiana, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, caused the company to temporarily close that facility. No one was hurt.
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