Oil Refinery Fire Pushes Thick Smoke Into Delco Skies, Injures Worker

TRAINER, PA — One person was injured and shelter-in-place orders were lifted Thursday after a fire at Delta Air Lines' oil refinery in Delaware County pushed a large plume of thick smoke into the air.

The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. in a process unit pump room the refinery in Trainer owned by Monroe Energy, a Delta subsidiary.

Thick smoke emanated from the facility as emergency responders from throughout the region battled the fire and monitored air quality.

The fire was declared under control around 1:30 p.m., officials said. A Monroe employee sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported off-site for medical treatment.

Everyone within a half-mile radius was ordered to shelter in place. But the order has been lifted as of 3:15 p.m.

No residents were ordered to evacuate, officials said.

A shelter-in-place was issued to keep the roads clear, and air monitoring showed no risks to human health, according to Monroe Energy and Delco officials.

"The safety and health of the residents is paramount, and we are continuing to work closely with local emergency response officials," a Monroe spokesperson said Thursday afternoon.

Trainer Refinery is located along the Delaware River, straddling the communities of Chester, Trainer and Marcus Hook.

Delta purchased the refinery from Phillips 66 in 2012, prioritizing jet fuel production to help the airline manage costs of the resource, which are considered volatile. The plant also produces gasoline, diesel, and home-heating oil.

Local environmental-justice advocate Zulene Mayfield expressed concerns about the incident. Mayfield, the chair of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living, says officials don't have adequate protocols to evacuate residents from the environmentally burdened region in the event of a large-scale emergency.

"When these incidents come up, it makes us think," Mayfield said on Facebook Live, "if there’s a real emergency and we really have to get people out this area, how does this happen? Who does it? What education is being done? We live around some major, major things that can do us real harm."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

County officials urged residents to sign up for Delco Alert to get emergency notifications via text, call or email.