Police Give ‘All Clear’ After Mandatory Evacuation Due To Explosion At Marathon Refinery

April 27, 2013 6:35 PM

Smoke can be seen from the Marathon Detroit Refinery. (Credit/WWJ Tipster Jan)

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) -  8:37 P.M. Police in Melvindale are giving residents the ‘all clear’ to return to their homes after a mandatory evacuation order was issued due to an explosion at a near-by oil refinery.

A spokesman for Marathon Petroleum says no injuries have been reported after a fire broke out at a refinery in Detroit.

Shane Pochard tells The Associated Press the fire occurred Saturday evening in one of the small tanks at the Marathon Petroleum refinery. He says the fire has been put out.  Pochard says there are no reports of any injuries to employees or contractors.

6:10 P.M. Reports of an explosion at the Marathon Detroit Refinery as well as a mandatory evacuation order was put into effect for the area just off of Schafer from Ropp down to Dix and all the way down to Outer Drive per Melvindale police.

Reports of the explosion came in from several listeners to WWJ Newsradio 950 just before 6 p.m. and it appears that one of the tankers on the site may have exploded.

Smoke can be seen in the distance from I-75 and Junction.

Marathon Detroit Refinery told WWJ that they were trying to get the situation under control but could not comment further.

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