SPAIN – Fire at Escombreras refinery brought under control with no injuries

January 28, 2026

A fire that broke out at the Repsol refinery in the Escombreras industrial zone on Monday evening has been fully extinguished, with no injuries reported and no ongoing risk, according to the company.

The blaze began shortly before 6pm at the older Topping-3 unit, which is used for crude oil distillation. Thick black smoke rose above the surrounding valley, prompting precautionary measures in nearby areas. Repsol activated its emergency response plan immediately and deployed its own firefighting teams.

The company confirmed the fire was brought under control within an hour and completely extinguished by 11:05pm, using only internal resources.

Cartagena mayor Noelia Arroyo visited the refinery during the incident and met with plant officials. She said residents in the nearby district of Alumbres reported hearing what sounded like a detonation, and explained that the fire affected a tank involved in processing crude oil into diesel.

Local Police, firefighters and Civil Protection units were mobilised as a precaution, although their intervention was not required. Access roads remained secured throughout the incident, and once the smoke cleared after 9pm, all alerts and restrictions were lifted.

Repsol stated that there was never any danger of the fire spreading. Hydrocarbon supplies were cut off, allowing the remaining fuel to burn off safely while adjacent areas were cooled.

Spain