A two-alarm fire at a refinery in Newark Tuesday morning left a worker hurt but did not pose a health risk to the community, an Alameda County fire spokeswoman said.
The fire was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. at the Evergreen Oil hazardous waste facility and re-refinery at 6880 Smith Ave.
The company's website states that the facility was designed in part to purify used oil and complex watery oils found in service bays, car washes and garages for reuse.
This morning, two employees at the plant were performing a routine task when there was some sort of equipment failure, Alameda County fire spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said.
The equipment failure caused the released of hydrocarbon, which then caught fire, she said.
The heat from the fire melted a nearby fiberglass tank containing hydrochloric acid, and the acid spilled into a contained area, Knowles said.
The fire has been extinguished and the acid is being cleaned up, she said.
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One employee suffered an arm injury and was taken to a hospital, but Knowles said the injury is not believed to be severe. No other injuries were reported.
A company hazardous materials team and Alameda County's hazardous materials team are at the scene monitoring the situation. The plant has been shut down.
Knowles said there is no risk to public health, and no shelter-in-place orders were issued.
A woman answering the phone at the nearby James L. Bunker Elementary School said classes are proceeding normally.
Firefighters from Hayward and Fremont assisted in the response.
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