Damage to supply pipes and a sign are seen at the idle Valero oil refinery on Sept. 25, 2005, in Port Arthur, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. (Stan Honda – AFP / Getty Images)
By Jack Davis March 24, 2026 at 10:54am
An explosion and fire struck a Port Arthur, Texas, oil refinery on Monday, leading to a shelter-in-place order that was not lifted until Tuesday morning.
The fire broke out Monday at the Valero oil refinery, which employs about 770 people and processes around 435,000 barrels per day, Port Arthur Mayor Charlotte Moses said, according to Fox Business.
“There’s been an explosion, yes, but we’re okay, everybody’s okay,” Moses said.
“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,” she said, noting the massive response to the blaze.
BREAKING: Explosion and fire reported at Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas pic.twitter.com/i7UpGeZENH
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 24, 2026
“Currently, there is a fire in a unit at Valero’s Port Arthur, Texas refinery,” Valero said early Tuesday in a statement.
“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,” the statement said.
🇺🇸 Massive fire erupts at oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas following reported explosion. pic.twitter.com/Qbw6U1zRgD
— The Daily News (@DailyNewsJustIn) March 24, 2026
Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said an industrial heater was the likely cause.
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said the shelter-in-place order imposed Monday was lifted at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to KFDM-TV.
“As of 3:28 a.m. the major fire at Valero was out,” Branick said, according to KBMT-TV.
He added that air quality tests by the company, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality “did not indicate exceedances of safe thresholds at this point.”
Branick noted that he had spent Monday, his birthday, in an incident response center.
“Well, that was certainly the most interesting way I’ve ever spent a birthday,” Branick said.
“I was impressed by the well-trained and highly skilled emergency response personnel of Valero. They understood the processes, products, and procedures and they worked together under the incident command and control framework in a collaborative and effective way,” he said.
Branick noted that Jefferson County and the company will meet after the incident “to better prepare for and respond to any emergencies that might occur in our community.”
“My appreciation to the many first responders on scene, most importantly our frontline firefighters,” Branick said.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.