4 people injured in ExxonMobil plant fire in Baytown, officials say

ByCharly Edsitty and Erica Simon KTRK logo
Thursday, December 23, 2021
4 people injured in ExxonMobile plant fire in Baytown, officials say
First responders have been working to put out the fire since 1 a.m. Officials are monitoring the air quality but so far, a shelter-in-place has not been issued.

BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) -- The fire that injured four people Thursday morning at an ExxonMobil plant in Baytown has been safely extinguished, according to the company.

First responders were called to the scene at about 1 a.m. ABC13 sent crews to the plant to learn more information after our newsroom received multiple calls from viewers saying they were woken up by a blast.

At about 5:45 a.m., emergency response teams were still working to extinguish the fire, according to Exxon. SkyEye captured the video above, showing large amounts of smoke in the area. By 9:15 a.m., Exxon said teams had safely extinguished the fire.

All four victims were rushed to Memorial Hermann in the medical center. We learned two of them were being treated for burns, a third person had a fracture and the fourth person was being treated for injuries related to a fall of about 40 feet.

Exxon officials said the four victims were in stable condition.

"All other personnel at the site have been accounted for, and we're ensuring that these individuals are receiving the best care possible. We will continue to support their families through this difficult time," said Exxon Mobil refinery manager Rohan David.

No shelter-in-place had been issued for residents in the area.

Despite the smoke, ABC13 meteorologists noticed the air quality did not drop and still appeared to be good.

Exxon also released the following statement early Thursday morning:

"Our industrial hygiene staff continues air quality monitoring at the site and fence line. Available information shows no adverse impact at this time. We are coordinating with authorities as appropriate. We deeply regret any disruption or inconvenience that this incident may have caused the community."

Officials have not yet determined what caused the fire, but Exxon representatives said they are cooperating with authorities.

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