Flaring at the Martinez refinery Friday night

The flaring could be seen from the I-680 Freeway and Marina Vista Avenue

On Friday night, residents in Martinez could see and hear flaring, which is common when a refinery needs to burn off flammable gas due to pressure or other issues.

The flare was visible from the I-680 Freeway and Marina Vista Avenue.

“Flares are critical components of a refinery’s integrated, engineered safety system.” They are intended to safely manage excess combustible gasses by efficiently and effectively burning them off,” Martinez Refining Company spokesperson Brandon Matson said in a statement. “We apologize for causing inconvenience to some of our neighbors and thank our employees who are working safely to resolve the equipment issue that is causing the flaring.”

The refinery provided the public with its community inquiry phone number, 925-313-3777 (or 925-313-3601 during off-work hours), to report issues or ask questions.