The Latest on a fire at a Houston-area refinery complex (all times local):
2 p.m.
Exxon Mobil says six people were injured during a fire at one of its facilities, the latest in a series of fires in the Houston area involving the petrochemical industry.
In a statement, the Irving, Texas- based company said the individuals who were hurt suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Exxon Mobil says it’s not aware of any other injuries from Wednesday’s fire at its Olefins plant, which processes light hydrocarbons including propane and propylene.
The plant, part of the company’s 3,400-acre refinery complex in Baytown, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Houston.
A shelter in place for residents living west of the plant remains in place.
Exxon Mobil says it’s performing air quality monitoring at the site and “available information shows no adverse impact at this time.”
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11:41 a.m.
A fire burning at an Exxon Mobil refinery in Texas is sending a large plume of smoke into the air, the latest in a series of fires in Houston area involving the petrochemical industry.
The fire broke out Wednesday at an Exxon Mobil facility in Baytown, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Houston. The city of Baytown says the fire is an area that contains polypropylene material and that Exxon Mobil has requested that some nearby residents shelter in place as a precaution.
The area has seen large fires this year involving other petrochemical companies, too. In April, one worker died after a tank holding a flammable chemical caught fire in Crosby . And in March, a fire burned for days at a petrochemical storage facility in nearby Deer Park.
