Texas petrochemical plant fire sends 9 workers to hospital

HOUSTON (AP) — A fire broke out at a petrochemical plant in the Houston area on Friday, sending nine workers to a hospital and causing a huge plume of smoke that was visible for miles.

Around 3 p.m., rescue workers were called to the Shell facility in Deer Park, a suburb east of Houston. The city of Deer Park said in a statement that there was no on-site accommodation order for residents.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said earlier in the day that five contract employees were taken to the hospital as a precaution, adding that they suffered no burns. He said they were taken to a hospital due to heat exhaustion and proximity to the fire.

Shell Deer Park officials said on Twitter Friday night that they were continuing to respond to the fire, all workers had been counted and nine workers had been released after precautionary medical checks.

Nothing exploded, Gonzalez said, although the sheriff’s office initially responded to 911 calls that there had been an explosion.

As of Friday night, the fire was still burning but had been extinguished and contained, Gonzalez said.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation. The fire broke out while routine maintenance was being carried out at the olefins plant. Aerial monitoring for any effects of the fire is ongoing and no harmful levels of chemicals have been detected, Shell Deer Park said.

“There is no danger to the surrounding community,” the post said.

The fire broke out at about 2:56 p.m. in the plant’s olefins unit. The product that ignited included cracked heavy gas oil, cracked light gas oil and gasoline, Shell Deer Park said.

“The cause of the fire will be the subject of a future investigation and our immediate priority remains the safety of people and the environment,” officials at the facility said.

Shell conducted its own air quality monitoring, but the city hasn’t received an update yet, said Kaitlyn Bluejacket, a spokeswoman for Deer Park.

Shell told the city there is no need for shelters at this time, but the city will update residents if that changes, Bluejacket said.

Firefighters from the Deer Park facility and surrounding plants were deployed.

Wind conditions were favorable for fighting the fire, although temperatures in the Houston area rose to nearly 32.2 degrees F, but high humidity meant it felt hotter than 37.8 degrees F.

Harris County Fire Chief James Singleton said his office will be in Deer Park throughout the weekend to conduct the investigation.

“You’re dealing with a large number of people who need to be interviewed,” Singleton said. “Everyone who was on the unit at the time of the fire, the controllers, management, anyone who called 911.”

Houston meteorologists said the plumes of smoke were visible from space via satellite.

Plant fires are not uncommon in the area, where the petrochemical industry is strong. In March, an explosion and fire occurred at an INEOS Phenol facility in nearby Pasadena, Texas, injuring one person.

A 2019 fire at an Intercontinental Terminals Company facility burned for days and while causing no injuries, sparked air quality alerts.

Coronado reported from Austin, Texas. AP writer Lisa Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington.

Texas petrochemical plant fire sends 9 workers to hospital | News