Explosion at Valero Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas

On March 23, 2026, an explosion and fire at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur prompted local authorities to advise residents to evacuate. This facility, located about 90 miles east of Houston, processes around 435,000 barrels of oil daily. During the incident, approximately 770 employees were at the site; however, Port Arthur’s Mayor, Charlotte Moses, confirmed that there were no reported injuries.

“Yes, there was an explosion, but we’re okay and everyone’s okay,” Moses said in a Facebook post late Monday. She added that efforts to extinguish the fire were underway, and local firefighters were fully engaged in the response.

In an advisory, the city urged residents living from Stilwell Boulevard to Highway 73 south, as well as in Sabine Pass and Pleasure Island, to “shelter in place” for their safety until further notice from emergency personnel.

Valero Energy Corporation later issued a statement saying all employees were safe and that their emergency response team was actively coordinating with local authorities. As a precautionary measure, State Routes 82 and 87 have been closed by Jefferson County authorities. Valero emphasized that employee safety remains a top priority.

Jefferson County Sheriff, Zena Stevens, indicated that it is likely an industrial heater caused the explosion. In response to the situation, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality mentioned that they are deploying portable air quality monitoring equipment to assess the area and coordinate with local response teams.

Port Arthur has a population of about 56,000 people.