Large oil refinery explosion near Texas coast forces residents to shelter in place

"Valero's emergency response team is responding and coordinating with local authorities," Valero said in a statement, according to Fox 26 Houston. "As a precaution, Jefferson County officials have closed State Highways 82 and 87. As always, the safety of our workers is our top priority."

The Texas Department of Emergency Management and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have personnel at the scene.

"Emergency response coordinators and regional staff have been deployed with handheld and mobile air monitoring assets in response to the Valero fire in Port Arthur, TX and are coordinating activities through incident command." TCEQ spokesperson Laura Lopez said in a statement. "Updates will be shared on our social media channels (Facebook and X) as they become available."