Explosion at Valero Port Arthur, Texas refinery prompts shelter-in-place

Valero Energy reported an explosion and fire at its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, on March 23, prompting a temporary shelter-in-place order for nearby residents, according to local officials and company statements.

Authorities said the fire was extinguished by the morning of March 24 and the shelter-in-place order has since been lifted, according to reporting from the Houston Chronicle, FOX 26 Houston and KPRC Click2Houston. Officials reported no injuries, and the company said all personnel were accounted for.

The incident occurred in a unit at the refinery, though the cause remains under investigation, according to the reports. Local officials cited by FOX 26 Houston said the explosion may have involved an industrial heater, but this has not been confirmed.

As a precaution, residents in parts of west Port Arthur were advised to shelter in place, and road closures were implemented around the facility. Both measures were lifted after air monitoring conducted by the company, local fire department and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality showed no threat to the surrounding community, according to the reports.

Emergency response personnel from state and local agencies were deployed to the site to support monitoring and coordination efforts. According to the Houston Chronicle, officials said air monitoring equipment was used on-site, though detailed results were not immediately available.

According to the reports, the refinery processes approximately 435,000 barrels per day of crude oil into fuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Authorities and the company said the investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.