Residents living near the Marathon's oil refinery in El Paso, Texas, say the last few days have been difficult to ignore.

An increase in flare-ups, along with the smell of gas, alarms, and added heat, has left some neighbors worried about what the activity could mean for their families.

What's happening?

According to KVIA, people in El Paso say flare activity at the Marathon refinery has become more common over the last several days. Video shared with the station showed visible flames from a nearby front yard, underscoring just how close some homes are to the facility.

One of those neighbors, Melody Palacios, told ABC-7 that she returned from California about a year ago and is again living with her family in their longtime home beside the refinery. She said concern is spreading across the neighborhood, especially for older residents.

When ABC-7 reached out for an interview, Western Refining sent a written statement stating: "Operating conditions at the El Paso refinery are making temporary flaring intermittently necessary. Flares are safety devices that allow for the safe combustion of excess materials."

Why does it matter?

For families living nearby, this is not merely an industrial process happening in the distance. Palacios told ABC-7 that neighbors are dealing with gas odors, flare-up alarms, and added heat from the activity — all while wondering what it could mean for elderly loved ones.

More broadly, oil and gas production and burning can worsen the extreme weather disasters that destroy homes, livelihoods, and local economies. They also drive air and water pollution linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, and premature death while keeping energy costs high for households.

Communities living closest to this infrastructure often bear the heaviest health and safety burdens, even when companies say operations remain under control.

What's being done?

For now, the refinery says it is monitoring air conditions and has not found an impact from the temporary flaring, according to ABC-7. 

But for residents, official assurances may not erase what they can see, smell, and hear. 

"Everyone's concerned. My neighbors are concerned," Palacios said. "You know, you're concerned when you have people who are elderly that live next to something like this. So, yeah, no, we're all concerned."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.