An explosion followed by a fire was reported at a Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, with police advising some nearby residents to shelter in place. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Port Arthur police said<\/a> Monday that residents on the west side of the city should shelter in place. Port Arthur is in southeastern Texas near the Louisiana border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The explosion was reported at about 6:30 p.m. local time. Antonio Mitchell with the Port Arthur Fire Department confirmed to KBMT<\/a> that there was an incident at the Valero facility, though details remained limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Videos shared on social media showed a large fire and a large plume of smoke rising from the refinery. One home surveillance video appeared to capture the moment of the explosion, with a loud boom shaking the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cause of the explosion and fire was not immediately known. Officials had not released any information about possible victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n