Contra Costa County Fire released its incident report from the Martinez Refinery Fire on Saturday in the City of Martinez.
As of Monday afternoon, Contra Costa Health has reiterated that the level 2 health advisory is still in effect for Martinez and parts of Pacheco and Clyde, and will remain in effect until the fire is fully extinguished.
Incident Overview:
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025, two workers were opening equipment in preparation for planned maintenance on one of the refinery’s process units, which had been shut down on Thursday, January 30, 2025. It is currently believed that, while opening the equipment, hydrocarbon material started to leak. The two workers immediately evacuated the area, and the material subsequently caught fire, which spread within the immediate vicinity. Both of those workers were transported offsite for medical evaluation and released. MRC’s fire crews quickly responded and began suppressing the fire. They called for mutual aid from industry partners and support from Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ConFire).
As of 5:12 pm Monday, the Martinez Refining Company continues to have the small residual fire under control. They said you may see minimal smoke until further notice. Because of significant progress made, all mutual aid firefighting crews have left the site. Flaring continues with the potential for intermittent flaring throughout the week. Refinery operating units have been shut down except required utility systems.
MRC reported a Community Warning System Level 1 notification for firefighting water runoff containing hydrocarbons that overflowed one of the refinery’s wastewater containment ponds. The runoff continues to be contained on the refinery’s property, and we have boom deployed to keep it contained, as well as equipment removing the runoff and transporting it to the refinery’s water treatment system.
Meanwhile, the Contra Costa Water District announced when the fire broke out, they increased water flow in the Contra Costa Canal, ensuring reliable water supply through both our Shortcut Pipeline and Martinez Reservoir. This response underscores the importance of proactive planning and a well-maintained water system in serving our community.
CCWD said in a statement that it remains committed to providing safe, clean, and reliable water. They continue to closely monitor water quality at the Martinez Reservoir, ensuring the City of Martinez receives the high-quality water it depends on.
Here is the CONFIRE Report:
At approximately 1:39 PM PST, Contra Costa County Fire responded to a fire at the Martinez Refining Company, 2000 Marina Vista Ave, Martinez, CA. The dispatch included a Commercial Fire with a Hazardous Material response due to multiple reports of large fires and visible smoke columns from the refinery. Upon arrival, Contra Costa units established a command post and staging area on Marina Vista Ave. A level 2 CWS was initiated, and Contra Costa Fire Companies awaited instructions from industry representatives on the action plan.
- DATE: 2/1/2025
- TIME OF ALARM: 1:39:00 PM
- TYPE OF ALARM: Second Alarm Fire-HAZMAT
- LOCATION: 2000 Marina Vista Ave, Martinez ,CA
- RESPONSE: 8 Engines, 3 Trucks, 1 Rescue, 1 Hazmat, 3 Battalion Chiefs, 1 Safety Officer, 1 Breathing
- Support, Fire Investigator, District Chief
- ASSISTING AGENCIES: PMAO, MOFD, CHP, MPD, CCSO, EPA, USCG, AMR, PGE
- TOTAL FIRE PERSONNEL AT SCENE: 51 CON Fire
Contra Costa Fire prepared to support fire attack operations by collaborating with law enforcement to establish road closures to manage traffic for public safety and allow emergency response access. Initial actions taken by The Contra Contra County Fire Hazmat team were to begin perimeter air monitoring and develop plume modeling for use in determining shelter-in-place requirements. Fire Investigators and Hazmat personnel utilized aerial drones for situational awareness and fire intelligence. In anticipation of potential victims, a decontamination zone was established for contaminated patients. A division was assigned to Shell Avenue to monitor and contain the fire to its source, preventing it from spreading to vegetation.
Due to the potential for mass casualties, a medical group was established, and a multi-casualty pre-alert was issued. The medical group included eight Contra Costa County Fire ambulances and an Emergency Medical Services supervisor. The medical group assessed, provided emergency medical treatment, and transported the injured refinery workers. Four patients were transported from the scene to local hospitals. No public agency personnel were injured during the incident.
Based on plume modeling, air monitoring, and visual observations, the Community Warning System (CWS) alert level was raised to Level 3 in the affected area. The command post was relocated to the Refinery EOC, where a unified command was established with Contra Costa Fire, Martinez PD, and Martinez Refining Company. Unified Commanders established objectives, confirmed current actions, and planned future actions. A Joint Information Center (JIC) was also created to provide clear and consistent public messaging through organized media releases and press conferences.
Martinez Refining Company’s fire units mitigated the fire using industry fire suppression tactics and securing fuel sources that fed the fire. The fire was controlled in approximately seven hours, although small pockets of fire and flaring continued as products burned off.
Throughout the incident, air monitoring around the perimeter was done by Contra Costa Fire HAZMAT, Contra Costa Health HAZMAT, on-site by Martinez Refining Company, and remotely by Bay Area Clean Air District. After confirming fire conditions and situational stability, and with the approval of Contra Costa Health, the CWS level was reduced to Level 2. The unified command was dissolved at 11:51 PM, and the incident was handed over to the Martinez Refining Company Incident Commander.
SUBMITTED BY: Whit MacDonald, District Chief C-Shift
Previous:
- Feb 2 – Martinez Health Advisory Remains in Effect Sunday
- Feb 2 – Bay Area Air District Releases Report on Martinez Refinery Fire
- Feb 1 – Update: Martinez Refinery Fire Injures 3, Shelter-in-Place
- Feb 1 – Public Health Advisory Issued After Fire at Martinez Refining Company