Texas City Shelter-In-Place Order Issued From Bay Street to SH-146 After Sunday Fire at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay Refinery
TEXAS CITY, TEXAS — A quiet Sunday morning turned tense when a shelter-in-place order went out for parts of town after a reported plant fire at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery, according to city officials. Residents in the affected area were told to stay inside while emergency crews responded and kept an eye on air quality. As teams got a better handle on the situation, authorities scaled the order back to a smaller cluster of neighborhoods.
Shelter Order Issued, Then Narrowed as Crews Responded
An online alert posted on the city’s website at about 9:46 a.m. announced that a shelter-in-place had been issued for the City of Texas City from Bay Street Park to SH-146. The notice said emergency responders were on scene, air monitoring was underway, and updates would follow as officials learned more.
Texas City Police said the initial order covered residents from Bay Street to SH-146, but by about 10:20 a.m. it had been narrowed to homes between 14th Street and 34th Street. Response crews were heading to the refinery as officials worked to pin down what started the blaze.
Where the Fire Broke Out and the Refinery’s Profile
The reported fire was at Marathon’s Galveston Bay refinery, a sprawling complex on Galveston Bay along the Houston Ship Channel. The refinery has a crude capacity of about 631,000 barrels per calendar day and is described as a merged complex covering multiple former plants. The site maintains its own air-monitoring and emergency response protocols for incidents on the property.
Refinery Has Triggered Shelter Orders Before
Texas City has dealt with shelter-in-place orders tied to Marathon operations before, including a sulfur-dioxide release in 2023 and a fire that led to a temporary shelter order in June 2025. In past cases, officials have typically set up perimeter air monitoring and issued an all-clear once readings returned to normal ranges.
What Residents in the Affected Zone Should Do
Authorities advised anyone inside the affected zone to head indoors, shut windows and doors, and turn off heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems while the order remains in effect. According to the city’s emergency-siren guidance, a high-low tone means residents should seek shelter, while a continuous tone signals an all-clear. Officials say anyone who feels unwell or notices strong odors should contact emergency services right away.
Local officials and news outlets are continuing to track the situation, with more details expected as air monitoring wraps up and investigators work to determine the cause of the fire.
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