No injuries reported as oil refinery blast rocks Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — A fire at a 150-year-old refinery complex in Philadelphia turned the early morning sky a bright orange and yellow and awakened startled residents with explosions that shook homes Friday.

The fire broke out at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex around 4 a.m., spokeswoman Cherice Corley said.

“Refinery emergency response crews and the Philadelphia Fire Department are attempting to bring the fire under control,” Corley said.

There were no reports of significant injuries, she said. No evacuations were ordered, but firefighters asked nearby residents to shelter in place.

Thick, black smoke billowed across the city.

“The whole sky lit up yellow, Antonio Tindle told WPVI-TV. “The third explosion rocked my truck. The whole truck started to rock and it got kind of scary,” he said.

The cause of the fire was unclear. It was the second blaze at the refinery in one month, following a June 10 fire in which no injuries were reported.

According to its website, the complex produces 335,000 barrels of crude oil daily. Philadelphia Energy Solutions says the oil refining complex is the largest on the Eastern Seaboard.

Some commuter buses were being detoured.