Courtesy Click2Houston.com
A large fire that burned at the BP plant in Texas City could be seen for miles.
Officials with the Texas City Office of Emergency Management said they were alerted to the hydrocarbon fire shortly after 1:40 p.m. Tuesday.
BP officials said the fire started in a reside hydrotreatment unit. It was evacuated.
"The unit produces a lot of heat and a lot of smoke, and that's why you see it," said Bruce Clawson with the Texas City Office of Emergency Management. "It's going to be a tough fire. It's almost like a tar-like substance that's burning, so it's going to be tough to put out."
BP officials said the fire was extinguished at about 3:05 p.m.
Texas City officials said the fire did not impact residents and a shelter-in-place was not issued.
"We're doing air-monitoring all around it and the air-monitoring does not call for (a shelter-in-place) at this point," Clawson said.
BP officials said the area of the plant where the fire occurred was shut down. The rest of the plant remained operational.
No injuries were reported.
The Texas City Fire Department is helping to douse the flames.
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Korrye Williams
