Huge fire extinguished at LyondellBasell plant in SE Houston

HOUSTON – Firefighters have extinguished a raging fire at the LyondellBasell plant in southeast Houston.

The fire broke out shortly after 10 a.m. Friday at the Coker unit at 12000 Lawndale.

Sky 2 aerials showed thick black smoke emanating from the plant. Flames could be seen pouring out of the facility.

The Houston Fire Department said a cleaning fluid and heavy fuel were burning.

Incredible viewer video captured the flames and smoke pouring into the sky.

Rene Salazar works nearby and caught it all on his cellphone.

"To see the flames that high was a little overwhelming because wasn't expecting to see that," Salazar said. "We turned around and saw the plume of black smoke and started to evacuate everybody on that side of the dock. A little eerie. I didn't want anything to happen to us."

The plant caught fire in the Coker unit around 10 a.m. Friday.

"The smoke was really thick on 225. I'd never seen it like that," Elba Puntes said.

According to Houston Fire Department, both a cleaning fluid and heavy fuel was burning at the plant as a shelter-in-place went into effect for nearby residents and schools.

"There was a lot of gray smoke coming due to the wind. I definitely pulled in my animals and closed my windows," Rita Snow said.

It took nearly 80 firefighters almost two hours to finally tamp out the raging plant fire with no reports of any injuries.

The Port of Houston Fire Department boat and the Chemical Industry Mutual Aid Fire Department helped in the battle.

HFD and LyondellBasell are monitoring air quality in the area.

LyondellBasell released a statement that read, in part: "Our first priority is for the safety of our workers and the surrounding community as well as protection of the environment."

The LyondellBasell plant is one of the largest refineries in the country, designed to process high-sulfur crude oil.

More than 1,300 employees and contractors work on the site, which is spread out over 700 acres along the Houston Ship Channel.

Roads around the area were impacted.

A shelter-in-place was lifted around 11:15 a.m. for the area around the 610 East Loop and Highway 225, according to the Houston Fire Department.

The boundaries of the advisory were Sims Bayou to the east to Broadway Street to the west and Manchester to the north to Park Place Blvd to the south.

Residents were asked to remain indoors, close all doors and windows and shut off all ventilating, heating and cooling systems.

Students at Chavez High School, Deady Middle School and Rucker Elementary School were also asked to stay inside during the shelter-in-place.