PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Residents of Port Arthur were urged to shelter in place Monday after an explosion and fire erupted at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky. The refinery, located about 90 miles east of Houston, processes roughly 435,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
Port Arthur Mayor Charlotte Moses confirmed there were no injuries among the roughly 770 employees on site. “There’s been an explosion, yes, but we’re OK, everybody’s OK,” Moses said in a Facebook video. “They’re trying to put the fire out as quickly as possible. Our firefighters are on the scene and working really hard.”
Authorities advised residents in areas including Stillwell Boulevard West, south of Highway 73, Sabine Pass, and Pleasure Island to stay indoors until emergency personnel issue an “All Clear.” Port Arthur has a population of about 56,000.
Valero confirmed in a statement Tuesday morning that all personnel had been accounted for. “Valero’s emergency response team is responding and coordinating with local authorities. As a precaution, Jefferson County officials have closed State Highways 82 and 87. The safety of our workers is our top priority,” the company said.
Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens told FOX4 Beaumont that an industrial heater is believed to have caused the explosion. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality added that emergency response coordinators and regional staff have deployed handheld and mobile air monitoring equipment and are coordinating through incident command to manage the situation.