A flare up at a South Philadelphia oil refinery has prompted emergency calls from concerned citizens.
The incident took place around 6:30 a.m. Friday at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex along Pennrose Avenue, fire officials tell NBC10.
The refinery is burning off additional flammable fuel through a tower at the complex. The flare-up is producing a larger than usual flame that's causing thick black smoke to billow into the sky.
Residents called 911 concerned by what they saw, but officials said the situation is under control. The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to the scene as a precaution.
Samantha Phillips, the city's emergency management director, said the refinery completed air monitoring testing, which came back negative.
A similar flare up took place at the refinery last month.
The refinery, formerly owned by oil giant Sunoco, is the largest oil refining complex on the East Coast. It handles 335,000 barrels of crude oil everyday, according to the company.
