Some residents of Port Arthur, Texas, being advised to shelter in place following incident at Valero oil refinery on Monday, March 23, 2026. (Source: @heavensent_axgel via Storyful)
Residents of a Texas city were urged to shelter in place following an explosion and fire at a Valero oil refinery that sent massive plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
The incident happened Monday at Valero’s Port Arthur Refinery, which is located about 90 miles east of Houston and processes around 435,000 barrels per day. The company says about 770 employees work at the site, but there were no injuries, according to Port Arthur Mayor Charlotte Moses.
“There’s been an explosion, yes, but we’re OK, everybody’s OK,” Moses said in a video posted on Facebook late Monday. “They’re trying to put the fire out as quickly as possible. They are working fast, our firefighters are on the scene. They’re working really hard.”
Port Arthur is advising residents who live in the areas of Stillwell Boulevard West to South of Highway 73, Sabine Pass and Pleasure Island to adhere to an “immediate shelter in place.”
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Smoke is seen rising during a fire on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Valero’s Port Arthur Refinery in Texas. (@heavensent_axgel via Storyful / Storyful)
“For your safety, please remain in place until the ‘All Clear’ is given by emergency personnel,” the city said.
Port Arthur has a population of around 56,000.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLO | VALERO ENERGY CORP. | 237.39 | -2.48 | -1.03% |
“Currently, there is a fire in a unit at Valero’s Port Arthur, Texas refinery,” Valero told FOX Business in a statement on Tuesday morning. “All personnel have 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. As always, the safety of our workers is our top priority.”
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A Valero oil refining plant is seen near Port Arthur, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens told FOX4 Beaumont that an industrial heater was likely behind the explosion.
A Valero gas station in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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“Emergency response coordinators and regional staff have been deployed with handheld and mobile air monitoring assets in response to the Valero fire in Port Arthur, TX and are coordinating activities through incident command,” the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality wrote on X.
