TEXAS CITY, Texas – One employee at the Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City has died after a fire was reported Monday morning, the company said.
Scott Higgins, 55, of Deer Park, Texas was identified as the victim. On Tuesday, another worker, who said he suffered second- and-third degree burns in the fire filed a lawsuit against the Marathon Petroleum refinery.
The Buzbee Law Firm held a press conference on Friday morning to discuss pertinent details surrounding the death of the Marathon machinist and next steps.
Several crews responded to the fire at the Galveston Bay Refinery unit located at 2938 5th Ave S around 10 a.m.
There is a fire at a unit at Marathon. Emergency responders are on scene. No shelter in place is needed, and there is no threat to the community.
— City of Texas City (@CityofTexasCity) May 15, 2023
Our emergency responders are closely monitoring the situation, including monitoring the air quality.
Marathon said the cause of the fire was still under investigation. There’s no word if any other employees sustained injuries during the incident.
“The safety of our workers and the community is our top priority, and a full investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident,” Marathon said in a statement.
Around 12 p.m., Texas City officials said the fire was under control and contained in the facility. Sky 2 captured video of several crews working to contain the fire.
Fires at refineries in the area are not uncommon. Earlier this month, a fire at a Shell facility in Deer Park sent nine workers to the hospital and caused massive plumes of smoke.
In March, an explosion and fire at a facility owned by INEOS Phenol in Pasadena left one injured.
Read full statement from Marathon:
“We are deeply saddened to report that a Marathon employee has passed away as a result of the fire today at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery. We extend our deepest sympathies to our employee’s family, friends and co-workers, and our thoughts are with them as we all mourn his passing. The safety of our workers and the community is our top priority, and a full investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident.”