Exxon continues operations after fire injures five Tuesday
BATON ROUGE - Five people were injured in a fire at the Exxon refinery on Scenic Highway Tuesday afternoon.
Around 4 p.m., numerous ambulance crews, firefighters and the Baton Rouge Fire Department HAZMAT team were called to the plant. Exxon fire crews were able to put the fire out, a BRFD spokesperson said. Ambulances took four of the five injured people to the burn unit at Baton Rouge General.
The burn patients were listed in critical condition Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday morning Exxon released a statement regarding the incident and the workers' conditions:
UPDATE: @exxonmobil just released this statement following yesterday's fire. Workers conditions remain the same.@WBRZ pic.twitter.com/gCJj7Ys2JC
— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) November 23, 2016
As WBRZ and WBRZ.com were first to report, Isobutane was involved. Isobutane, a colorless gas, can have a faint petroleum-like smell. It is used in refrigeration systems and as a propellant in aerosol sprays.
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Watch a recap of WBRZ's breaking news coverage HERE (this link redirects to Facebook).
There was no off-site impact.
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