Valero oil refinery explodes into flames, triggering massive boom as smoke billows through Texas air with residents ordered to shelter-in-place | 23 March 2026 | 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. Black 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. Jefferson County 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, but no injuries have been reported.