A fire at a refinery complex in Philadelphia is controlled and contained but still burning more than 12 hours after it started.
Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy says the blaze at Philadelphia Energy Solutions started in a tank that holds a mix of propane and butane.
He says that the blaze is being fed by a main but that it's not safe for workers to access the valve to shut it off.
He says it's safer to burn off the fuel rather than fully extinguish the blaze, since the gases would still be flowing into the atmosphere.
The city health department says tests show the air is safe.
Murphy says five employees had minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
The company says there were three separate explosions, which were felt miles away.
An order for nearby residents to shelter in place was lifted after 7 a.m.
It's the second fire at the refinery in the past month, following a June 10 fire in which no injuries were reported.
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Regarding this morning's PES fire:
— Philadelphia Department of Public Health (@PHLPublicHealth) June 21, 2019
Air Management Services was on-scene immediately and took air samples. Preliminary testing at the refinery, and in the community around, found no ambient carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (combustibles), or hydrogen sulfides.
