By Yuvraj Tyagi
Copyright timesnownews
A fire at the Sinclair Refinery in Carbon County disrupted the small Wyoming community on Saturday after an asphalt tank caught fire, sending a towering plume of black smoke into the sky. The smoke, which witnesses said was visible from more than 40 miles away, prompted alarm among residents and travellers along Highway 76. Local authorities confirmed that part of Wyoming Highway 76 was closed to traffic as emergency crews responded to the scene. “We had to block off the section near the refinery to ensure public safety and to allow fire units space to work,” a Carbon County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told reporters. Residents Describe Thick Smoke Several residents said they noticed the smoke mid-morning and feared it was spreading beyond the refinery. “At first, I thought it was a storm cloud,” said John Miller, who lives just outside Sinclair. “But when I realised it was coming from the plant, I got worried.” Officials stressed that the fire was confined to a single asphalt tank and did not spread to other areas of the refinery. The Sinclair Refining Company issued a brief statement acknowledging the incident: “Our emergency teams responded quickly and worked with local firefighters to contain the blaze. At this time, no injuries have been reported.” Cause Under Investigation Fire crews from multiple departments remained on site into the afternoon, monitoring hot spots and ensuring the blaze was fully extinguished. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality said it was assessing whether the smoke posed any air quality risks. As of Saturday evening, the cause of the fire had not been confirmed. County fire marshals are expected to begin a formal investigation once the site is secured. The refinery, a major local employer, has seen incidents before, though officials emphasised this blaze appeared limited in scope. “It could have been far worse,” one firefighter noted, adding that the swift closure of Highway 76 helped keep the response orderly. Normal operations at the refinery are expected to resume once safety inspections are complete. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
