A fire that started in the vicinity of Houston Ship Channel, at a nearby refinery, in the morning hours of Friday was extinguished around 12 p.m. the same day, according to Houston Fire Department.
The fire erupted at ExxonMobil in Baytown, TX, and “the huge plume of smoke sent into the air was visible from 22 miles away from downtown Houston,” GAC told World Maritime News.
“As per Houston Pilots, no channel closure took place and it did not influence vessel traffic.”
GAC added that, according to Exxon, there were no injuries at the site, and there was no need for the community to shelter in place at the time, though they continued to monitor air quality well after the fire was extinguished the same day.
The fire at the chemical plant started when a cleaning fluid and heavy fuel ignited at the site, the fire department said.
Relevant authorities will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
World Maritime News Staff