Firefighters Battle Blaze at Chevron's Largest U.S. Refinery
A fire broke out Thursday at Chevron's largest U.S. refinery in Pascagoula, Miss., but authorities said there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Pascagoula Fire Department Capt. Terry Turgeau told The Associated Press that about 20 firefighters from Pascagoula and Jackson County were standing by, but Chevron's own fire crews were fighting the blaze.
"It looks pretty big," Turgeau said. "Just looking from the station it looks pretty large."
Steve Renfroe, a Chevron spokesman, said Chevron crews were trying to contain the blaze.
"Our emergency response crews are responding to that fire," Renfroe said. "We don't have any injuries and the fire is not a danger to the public."
Chevron shares slipped $2.12, or 2.60 percent, at $79.27 in Thursday after-hours trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
The refinery has been operating on the Mississippi coast since 1963. It's one of the top 10 petroleum refineries in the United States, according to Chevron's Web site. It can process 330,000 barrels of crude oil a day, according to the Energy Department.
Officials believe hydrocarbon gasoline is what's burning, according to Biloxi's WLOX-TV. Smoke was visible for several miles and flames were reported as high as the tree tops.
