Exxon Mobil Texas refinery rocked by explosion and fire

An explosion and fire at an Exxon Mobil oil refinery in Baytown, Texas, caused minor injuries to 37 workers and forced nearby residents inside on Wednesday before being brought under control, Reuters reports.

The big picture: This is the second big explosion at an American refinery in as many weeks. The other was in Pennsylvania, where the economically struggling refinery shut down after the explosion. These disasters show the inherent risk we take with our dependence on explosive fuels for our lives. This Texas refinery makes products that go into plastics.