According to Kyodo news agency, the local authorities were recommended to evacuate some 3,000 people.
The evacuated people were accommodated in two evacuation stations.
There is no data on the cause of the fire, as well as on the casualties so far.
The refinery caught fire at 07:00 GMT. According to the preliminary information, a container with lubricants flamed up, while no blasts were reported.
The fire area has reached 100 square meters [3.8 square miles]. Some 20 fire brigades were sent to combat fire in the area.
Over 500 people evacuated from refinery in Japan`s Oita due to fire
23 January 2017
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Over 500 people have been evacuated on Sunday from a refinery located in the Japanese city of Oita, Wakayama Prefecture as it caught fire, Sputnik reported.
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