Fire expected to burn at Texas chemical plant until Wednesday

DEER PARK, TX. — A massive fire burning at a petrochemical facility just outside of Houston could burn for another two days, officials said.

For the second day, thick, black smoke coats the air in Deer Park, Texas, where a fire broke out at a single fuel tank Sunday afternoon and quickly spread to nearby tanks.

According to Intercontinental Terminals Company, which owns the facility, it did not take long for the fire spread to a second tank. By 5:30 a.m. on Monday, the blaze had spread to an eighth tank.

However, ITC spokeswomen Alice Richardson later said only six tanks were affected and that one of the tanks involved was empty while another was falsely reported on fire.

So far, the fire is confined to an area containing 15 of the Deer Park facilty's 242 tanks.

Firefighters have taken a defensive stance against the fire, allowing for it to burn through the remaining stored fuel tanks once they contain the blaze.

Crews are using foam and water to douse the blaze and, once the fire is contained, they will shut off the tnak valves and the fire will put itself out.

ITC said the burning tanks contain gas, oil and chemicals.

The facility is just one of many along the Houston shipping channel, one of the country's busiest seaports and home to the largest petrochemical complex in the nation.

Boston 25 News has learned the fire also caused delays and even discharge of cargo overseas that was heading for Deer Park.

Schools in the area and Highway 225 were temporarily shut down while crews responded to the fire and smoke enveloped the region. A shelter-in-place that was ordered for Deer Park and surrounding communities has since been lifted.

While officials have assured the public the plume of smoke has not affected air quality, residents are skeptical given the chemicals involved in the fire.

Air quality test results released by ITC on Monday indicate conditions are "below levels" that represent any threat to public health.

All ITC employees have been accounted for and no injuries have been reported.

While school has resumed in the area, the distric has restricted outside activities and is calling for home games to be moved to other locations until the fire is over and the smoke has cleared.

Cox Media Group