An explosion at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur sent a large plume of smoke over the city and prompted officials to advise west side residents to shelter in place, according to local emergency notices and news reports.
Jeff Branick, Jefferson County judge, announced the major fire was out at 3:28 a.m. and praised emergency responders for their work, saying it was the most interesting way he had spent his birthday, as he remained at the incident command center.
Valero issued a news release saying air monitoring by Valero, the Port Arthur Fire Department and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality showed no air quality concerns, and the company confirmed all personnel were accounted for while its emergency response team coordinated with local authorities.
Interim Port Arthur Fire Chief Louie Havens said two engines were initially sent and a hazardous materials team deployed, and he confirmed no injuries or deaths were reported, with assistance from the Beaumont Fire Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Impact And Response Details
A message sent over the Southeast Texas Alerting Network said the shelter-in-place order was lifted and Texas Highway 82 reopened just after 5:30 a.m., nearly 12 hours after the explosion, as officials worked through road closures and public safety measures.
The shelter-in-place area covered the west side from Stilwell West to south of 73, including Pleasure Island and Sabine Pass, while Jefferson County closed State Highways 82 and 87 as a precaution, and the cause of the explosion remained under investigation.
Port Arthur ISD said Booker T. Washington Elementary and Abraham Lincoln Fine Arts Academy would open with a delayed start at 9 a.m., with buses running normally and no students counted tardy before that time, while Sabine Pass School canceled classes.
Road closures left bus-riding children stranded in Sabine Pass, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit ferried the students home, a situation Mayor Charlotte Moses said occurred because buses could not get through closed roads.
Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said the incident may have involved a heater unit, and Branick said the county will conduct an after-action review with Valero to better prepare for and respond to future emergencies.
Photographs circulated showing a column of black smoke visible from miles away, and KPLC noted the refinery processes crude into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at about 435,000 barrels a day, as listed on Valero’s website.
