GARYVILLE, La. — The concern now is the fumes from the product that has been burning all day, air monitoring is being conducted in the community, so far officials say there is no impacts to the air.
Hilary Cambre had to flee the safety of his home because he worried about what he could be breathing in, he told Eyewitness News, "You look outside your house and the sky is black."
According to the plant, the chemical on fire is called naphtha which is a component in the production of gasoline. It's highly flammable and comprised of hydrogen and carbon.
Behind the Marathon Petroleum plant fence line is Cambre's house. Cambre says Friday, he and other residents felt nauseous, dizzy and had headaches. Health experts say this could be because of the fire."
Dr. Rustin Reed, with Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine says in addition to the Naphtha, there are other chemical particles in the air that's a concern.
Dr. Reed said, "Out of the black smoke that we see is also from other materials we see in the area, so you may have had some trucks or vehicles nearby, rubber tires, metal, typical combustible material like boxes and wood."
He says those with respiratory issues need to take precautions, because this fire could make them worse. "If I had a respiratory condition like asthma or COPD - which is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, then I would avoid going outdoors," said Dr. Reed.
Some residents are concerned about the long-term effects this fire could have on their health, Arthur Chabaud said, "I think it could be pretty hazardous, there's no telling what we're breathing in."
Dr. Reed suggests those who evacuated to change their HVAC filters and he advises those with serious respiratory health problems to not come back for at least 24 hours.
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