A massive oil refinery in Texas burst into flames, sending smoke billowing through the air Monday night.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene of the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas after multiple people in the neighborhood reported hearing a loud boom that rattled their homes, according to KPLC.
Smoke was seen billowing up into the sky from the refinery, which processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at a rate of 435,000 barrels each day.
Sheriff Zena Stephens said the explosion was likely caused by an industrial heater, KDFM reports.
The explosion has prompted officials to issue a shelter-in-place order for the west part of the city.
The explosion comes amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.
The shutdown has affected Americans at the pump especially, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $3.91, according to AAA.
That’s an increase of 25 percent from a year ago and a shock rise of 33 percent from one month ago, just before the start of the war in Iran.
A massive oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas burst into flames, sending smoke billowing through the air Monday night
The refinery processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at a rate of 435,000 barrels each day
The explosion has prompted officials to issue a shelter-in-place order for the west part of the city.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
