Valero Port Arthur Refinery Explosion and Fire — Shelter-in-Place Lifted
An explosion and fire at Valero's Port Arthur refinery prompted a March 23, 2026 shelter-in-place order. No injuries; agencies reported no air-quality threat.
- Location
- Port Arthur, TX
- Occurred
- Mar 23, 2026, 2:00 PM UTC
- Last verified
- March 24, 2026
- Sources
- 3 primary sources
An explosion and fire at Valero's Port Arthur refinery, located along the Texas coast about 90 miles east of Houston, prompted a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents on March 23, 2026. The order was later lifted after the fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
What happened
The incident occurred at the refinery, where roughly 770 people work. Residents nearby were advised to shelter in place as smoke rose from the site.
Air quality
Air monitoring conducted by Valero, the Port Arthur Fire Department, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported no threat to air quality. The shelter-in-place order was lifted once the fire was out. For background on this kind of event, see our refinery incidents overview.
What to do
This incident has been resolved. If you were affected and have questions, you can document your experience and review your options. To see other tracked incidents, use the area-lookup tool.
Timeline
An explosion and fire are reported at Valero's Port Arthur refinery; a shelter-in-place order is issued for nearby residents.
Air monitoring by Valero, the Port Arthur Fire Department, and the TCEQ reports no threat to air quality.
The fire is out and the shelter-in-place order is lifted; no injuries are reported.
Common questions
Were there injuries?
According to reports, no injuries were reported among the roughly 770 people who work at the site.
Was the air safe?
Air monitoring conducted by Valero, the Port Arthur Fire Department, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported no threat to air quality.