Four Injured in Flash Fire at CITGO Lake Charles Refinery

On September 22, 2025, a flash fire broke out at the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery in Sulphur, Louisiana. According to Louisiana State Police, the fire started just before 12:45 p.m. and left four workers injured. All four were contractors with Turner Industries, one of the largest contract labor providers in the Gulf Coast. The men were transported for medical care, with injuries described as ranging from minor to moderate. At least one has already been released, while the others remain in treatment. The State Police HazMat team responded to the scene, but CITGO has reported that refinery operations remain “normal and uninterrupted.”

Contractors Face Outsized Risks

In the petrochemical industry, there is no such thing as a harmless fire. A so-called “minor” incident can still leave workers with devastating burn injuries, as well as long-term damage from smoke inhalation or trauma—all of which requires months of rehabilitation. Families are left scrambling to cover medical bills and lost wages while their loved ones fight to recover.

This fire injured four Turner Industries contractors who don’t work directly for CITGO, despite putting their safety in the refinery giant’s hands. Across the industry, contract workers are routinely sent into the most dangerous environments, often with fewer long-term protections. They do the same hazardous jobs but with less job security, bearing a disproportionate share of the risk when something goes wrong.

Fires Like This Aren’t “Accidents”

Refineries handle volatile chemicals every single day, and flash fires are a well-known hazard. Preventing them requires strict oversight: rigorous training, careful maintenance, and safety protocols that leave no room for error. When a fire ignites inside a refinery, it’s neither a freak occurrence nor an inevitability—it’s a breakdown in the very systems designed to protect workers.

The official response to this fire emphasizes that operations remain normal. That misses the point. Four men were injured, their lives disrupted, and their families thrown into uncertainty. What matters most isn’t whether CITGO continues refining oil; it’s whether the company accepts responsibility for the people who were hurt.

A Pattern Across the Gulf Coast

This incident is part of a troubling trend. Fires and explosions are not rare in refineries and petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast. They are the predictable result of an industry that too often prioritizes output and profit over safety and accountability.

At Arnold & Itkin, our Louisiana burn injury attorneys have represented countless refinery and plant workers harmed in so-called “accidents.” What we’ve learned is simple: these incidents are preventable. Workers deserve more than promises of “ongoing investigations”—they deserve answers, accountability, and the resources to rebuild their lives.

Our thoughts go out to the injured workers and their families. We urgently hope they recover quickly and get answers about why this happened.