NEWELL, W.Va. — Residents in the northern section of Hancock County were evacuated from their homes late Saturday night after a large fire a the Ergon petroleum processing plant in Newell.
The fire happened at around 11 p.m.
The company released a statement Sunday afternoon that said the fire was in a processing unit and no employees were injured.
“Refinery employees immediately initiated a controlled shutdown of refining process units,” the statement said. “The cause of the fire is under investigation, and Ergon will assess equipment damage and begin coordination of necessary repairs while prioritizing the health and safety of employees and the surrounding community.”
Ergon Chief Executive Officer Emmitte Haddox said he was thankful there were no injuries, that the damage was contained and the company’s safety protocol was followed.
“We appreciate the prompt response from the fire departments and EWV employees who came to our aid to extinguish the fire,” Haddox said.
State Route 2 was closed for a period of time near Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort. Residents were allowed to return to their homes at around 2 a.m.
There’s no word on what caused the blaze.
There was also a fire at the plant in back in April. There were also no injuries reported.