American Refining Group reports early‑morning refinery fire; no injuries

Ryan Krogmeier, president of American Refining Group, told Bradford City Council that a fire at the company's gasoline‑reforming unit began at approximately 3:50 a.m. on March 3 and was extinguished within about 17 to 20 minutes. He said no one at the facility was injured.

Krogmeier described the failure as a burst at a 90‑degree elbow in a pipe that released naphtha — a gasoline‑range hydrocarbon — under high pressure and temperature. "When it hit the ground, it immediately, within literally half a second, found an ignition source and it caught on fire," he said, adding that the company's internal team and mutual‑aid fire departments contained the blaze quickly.

The company is investigating the cause and conducting engineering and equipment inspections to determine the extent of damage. Krogmeier said the damage assessment is ongoing and that the timetable to restore full operations is uncertain until engineers complete their review. "We will rebuild," he said, and pledged to keep lines of communication open with the city.

Krogmeier publicly thanked Bradford's emergency response partners, including the Bradford City Fire Department, Bradford City Police Department and nearby volunteer fire departments, saying drills and joint training helped ensure a coordinated response. He said ARG's own emergency response team also participated.

The presentation did not identify any injuries or offsite impacts reported to the council. Krogmeier said ARG regrets the disturbance to the community and is working to bring unaffected units back online while assessing repairs to the damaged area. He said the company will provide updates as the investigation and repairs proceed.

Council did not take any formal action during the presentation.

The council moved on to public comment and other agenda items after the update.