Deer Park fire: Past plant fires in the Houston area since 2019
HOUSTON - On Friday, a fire blazed for hours at a chemical plant in Deer Park, just southeast of Houston.
The fire broke out at the Shell Deer Park plant around 3 p.m. and continued on for hours before officials were able to contain it and eventually extinguish it late in the evening. The fire then reignited on Saturday afternoon.
Officials are continuing to keep the fire contained at the time being.
DEER PARK FIRE: Leak caused fire at plant in Deer Park, extinguished fire has reignited; 9 total injured
However, this is not the first plant fire the Houston area has seen in recent months.
Here are various fires that have occurred at industrial plants in the area.
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ITC Deer Park fire
The plant fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) in Deer Park burned for three days starting on March 17, 2019.
Eleven tanks in total were burned according to ITC officials and the cause of the fire was reported to be a leak.
RELATED: All tank fires extinguished at ITC Deer Park
"There was a leak that occurred in the 80-8 manifold. The release ignited, resulting in a fire within the manifold, involving Tank 80-8 and other adjacent tanks as well."
A precautionary shelter-in-place was issued for areas west of the plant and south of 330, but it was lifted around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The area included several Goose Creek ISD facilities: GC Service Center, Robert E. Lee High School, Peter E. Hyland, IMPACT ECHS, San Jacinto Elementary, Travis Elementary, and Baytown Junior.
In the end, no major injuries were reported.
KMCO LLC Crosby
On April 2, 2019, the KMCO plant reportedly exploded sending a smoke plume into the sky at 11 a.m. on 16503 Ramsey Road in the Crosby area.
"It’s my understanding that a transfer line is what initially ignited, and then an adjacent tank is what caught fire with isobutylene," said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of Harris County.
Three contract employees filed a lawsuit against KMCO LLC following the fire that killed one worker, identified by KMCO as James Earl Mangum and known at the plant as "Bubba", and left two others in critical condition.
KMCO PLANT: One death in Crosby-area chemical facility fire
Residents within one mile of the fire were ordered to shelter in place.
KMCO also had a history of environmental violations.
Corporate agents for KMCO pleaded guilty in 2016 to a federal criminal charge of violating the Clean Air Act. A plea agreement document stated that a plant employee made false entries in logs of air testing of tanks that were known to be leaking chemicals. Another employee then used those falsified logs to submit reports to the federal and state environmental authorities. The document says the violation went on between 2008 and 2012.
ExxonMobil Baytown
On July 31, 2019, the ExxonMobil Olefins plant in Baytown caught on fire burning propane and propylene.
ExxonMobil officials say 66 workers and contractors were examined at an occupational health clinic, and some of them received first aid treatments.
A precautionary shelter-in-place was issued at the time for areas west of the plant and south of 330, but it was lifted around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The area included several Goose Creek ISD facilities: GC Service Center, Robert E. Lee High School, Peter E. Hyland, IMPACT ECHS, San Jacinto Elementary, Travis Elementary, and Baytown Junior.
EXXONMOBIL: Fire at ExxonMobil Baytown plant extinguished, air monitoring continues
Harris County filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil Chemical Company saying it "caused, suffered, allowed or permitted air emissions in Harris County in violation of the Texas Clean Air Act."
Freeport LNG plant
The Freeport LNG plant in Quintana Island in Brazoria County experienced "some sort of explosion" according to Surfside officials on June 8, 2022.
SUGGESTED: Investigation underway at Freeport LNG near Surfside after 'some sort of explosion'
There were no reported injuries in the plant fire. The fire was reportedly no threat to the public at the time.
Wharton Prime Eco Inc.
Wharton was advised to shelter in place after a fire broke out on August 2, 2022, at the Prime ECO Group chemical plant, sparking multiple explosions.
Multiple fire departments responded to the scene at the Prime ECO Group Plant. After several hours they were able to extinguish it.
WHARTON PLANT: Fire crews go back to Wharton chemical plant after fire reignites
The fire reignited soon after they were able to put it out. There were no reported injuries.
INEOS Phenol Pasadena
On March 22, 2023, the INEOS Phenol plant in Pasadena exploded. Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said the BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) explosion happened while liquid petroleum was being transferred from a tanker truck to another tank.
One person was hospitalized.
MORE: Fire extinguished at INEOS in Pasadena, officials say; 1 taken to hospital, ruled accidental
Witnesses on the scene reported that a transfer hose from the tank trailer to the facility disconnected releasing flammable vapors from the LPG. The flammable vapors from the LPG were ignited, engulfing the tank trailer, and two additional tank trailers at the facility. An explosion resulted in the sudden release of LPG that was subsequently ignited and consumed in the fire.