ANACORTES, WA --- Tesoro Refinery, our neighbor to the north,  experienced a fire at 12:30am this morning.  Shell Refinery emergency response personnel were on standby to provide mutual aid if asked.   Our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and co-workers of those who have been affected. 

Tesoro issued the following statement this morning:

Tesoro Confirms Three Deaths at Anacortes Refinery

Tesoro has now confirmed three fatalities after a fire occurred at the company’s Anacortes, Washington, refinery at approximately 12:30a.m. (PT) today.  Four other employees have been admitted to the hospital in Seattle for treatment.

“This is a very sad time for our organization.  Everyone in the Tesoro family appreciates the impact that this will have on the families involved, and we are responding quickly to ensure the safety for our employees, contractors, and the neighboring community,” said Bruce Smith, Tesoro’s Chairman, President and CEO.

The fire occurred at the naptha unit while performing maintenance work and was contained at around 2 a.m. local time.  At this time there have been no reports of off-site impacts related to the incident.

The Sheriff’s Department has been notified and personnel are on site responding.  The Washington Department of Labor and Industries and the local air district have been notified of the event.  

Tesoro’s Emergency Incident Command has been activated to respond to this incident and the units affected have been shut down and stabilized. 

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