By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A massive fire that broke out at the Exxon refinery in Louisiana has been contained and was not the result of an explosion, officials said.
Firefighters responded to the scene in north Baton Rouge shortly after midnight on Wednesday, ABC affiliate WBRZ reported.
Jeremy Eikenberry, spokesperson for ExxonMobil, confirmed to Newsweek a volunteer fire crew had contained the blaze and no injuries were reported. He said crews are continuing to monitor the air quality around the facility.
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"ExxonMobil volunteer fire team members have contained a fire at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery. There are no injuries. The fire was contained to the area where it occurred," he said.
"ExxonMobil is actively monitoring the facility fence line and surrounding areas of the North Baton Rouge community. Currently, all readings are non-detect. We will continue to conduct air monitoring as a precaution."
He added: "We apologize for any inconvenience and concern this incident may have caused. We will continue to keep you updated with information as it becomes available. The safety of our workforce and community is ExxonMobil's highest priority."
A spokesman for the Baton Rouge Fire Department confirmed the fire was not the result of an explosion. Curt Monte said the blaze had broken out inside the facility at around 11.30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to CBS affiliate WAFB.
"There has not been any off-site impact. We sent Baton Rouge Fire Department hazmat teams out and they're continuing at this time to monitor outside air quality. They have not picked up any readings outside the facility," he said.
The blaze lit up the night sky in Baton Rouge, with many taking to Twitter to express their concerns.
"I just pray everybody made it out safe," one person tweeted alongside a video of the blaze. "We heard a loud boom minutes before midnight near Southern University," another person wrote.
According to WAFB, ExxonMobil is the largest manufacturing employer in Louisiana.
The Baton Rouge refinery, which is the fifth-largest oil refinery in the country, has more than 1,250 full-time and more than 1,800 contract employees, according to Exxon's website. The refinery manufactures motor gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, waxes and more.
In December 1989, one worker was killed and several others were hurt after an explosion at the facility.
The Baton Rouge Fire Department have been contacted for additional comment.
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