Fire at Major Petrochemical Plant Outside Houston Contained, Workers Hospitalized

A fire broke out at a Shell petrochemical plant in Deer Park, Texas, about 20 miles east of Houston, sending nine workers to the hospital.
The cause of the fire in the plant's olefins unit, which makes chemicals used to produce plastics, is under investigation but is believed to have started during routine maintenance.
Shell said air quality monitoring has not detected harmful levels of chemicals, but the fire sent up a huge plume of black smoke visible for miles around the plant.
The fire was contained, and officials said there are no current concerns about sheltering in place for nearby residents or impacts to other facilities.
While facility fires are not uncommon in the Houston area's vast petrochemical complex, any hospitalizations highlight the risks and dangers in handling highly flammable chemicals.