OREGON, Ohio — An Ohio oil refinery was shut down Wednesday after two people died in the massive fire on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for British Petroleum told the Associated Press that the fire occurred at its Husky Toledo Refinery in the city of Oregon, just outside Toledo.
According to the news outlet, the company said that the two workers were initially injured in the blaze but later succumbed to their injuries.
In a video provided to CNN, Ryan Rohm told the news outlet that he began noticing black smoke rise from the refinery around 7 p.m., adding an explosion also shook the ground and houses nearby.
During a Wednesday night speech on the House of Representatives floor, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur offered her condolences to the families of Ben and Max Morrissey, the two men who died in the fire.
"Madam Speaker, I rise today with deep sadness to pay tribute to two highly skilled U.S. steelworkers, brothers Ben and Max Morrissey, who tragically lost their lives at the British Petroleum refinery in my hometown," Kaptur said as she addressed lawmakers. "Yesterday, while on the job at the BP-Husky plant in Oregon, Ohio, their lives were cut short in a horrific explosion. Responsible citizens, husbands and fathers who performed America’s essential work that drives progress and our American way of life forward."
The company spokesperson said the fire was extinguished around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday and the refinery was "safely shut down," NBC News reported.
The cause of the fire has not been released, the Associated Press reported.
