Martinez refinery fire: Shelter in place order lifted after explosion injures six

The recent Martinez refinery fire caused distress among the residents, as authorities initially put a shelter-in-place order as a safety measure.

Hours after the fire broke out, Contra Costa County lifted the order. At the same time, a public health advisory remained in place for specific areas due to the impact of the Martinez refinery fire on air quality. A notification on Contra Costa County Health Services’ website reads,

“The Shelter in Place Order for Martinez has been lifted. Air quality in areas near Martinez Refining Company has improved enough that Community Warning System sirens have stopped. A Public Health Advisory remains for Martinez, parts of Pacheco, and Clyde. People with respiratory sensitivity should consider remaining indoors until this advisory is lifted. The need for a health advisory will be reassessed Sunday morning.”

For those unaware, a fire erupted at Martinez Refinery Company after an explosion on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The explosion also left six injured at the site, while the black smoke from the fire polluted the air within the region. Shortly after the Martinez refinery fire started, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District got the news around 1:47 pm.

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Sirens blared, and roads closed for hours after the Martinez refinery fire erupted

Residents periodically heard loud sirens from the Martinez Refinery Company premises for hours. The sirens were meant to alert everyone of the ongoing shelter-in-place order from the authorities.

At the same time, amidst the rescue efforts, different roads were also closed. Contra Costa County closed Marina Vista Avenue and Shell Avenue from Interstate 680 to Court Street and from Marina Vista to Pacheco Boulevard, respectively.

With giant clouds of black smoke emerging due to the Martinez refinery fire, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District also issued an air quality advisory on Saturday, warning the residents to stay indoors. In a release, the Bay Area Air District said,

“Smoke from the fire contains fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants. Exposure to smoke is unhealthy, even for short periods of time. It is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside. Set car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside. The use of indoor air filtration can also help reduce smoke exposure.”

Contra Costa County issued a shelter-in-place order around 05:00 pm but lifted it at 9:30 pm. Furthermore, neither of the authorities has reported any fatalities due to the fire incident at the 860-acre refinery.

After the Martinez refinery fire incident, Brandon Matson, the refinery's PIO (public information officer), also spoke to the press at a conference. He commented that construction was underway before the fire broke out. Although he maintained that it was still early to attribute the exact "root cause" of the fire, Matson confirmed there was a leak.

"I’m unaware of any of those odor complaints, when we do our root cause analysis all of those things will come out."

He also added,

"On behalf of Martinez Refining Company, we apologize for this incident, we know we disrupted many in the community tonight, and we will be doing a thorough investigation on it."

Matson also mentioned that the "protection of the citizens and the first responders" was the company's priority.