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Multiple tanks burning again after massive fire at Texas chemical plant

Posted at 7:06 PM, Mar 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-22 19:06:24-04

A blaze that burned several days at a petrochemical facility in suburban Houston reignited Friday, emergency management officials said.

Crews are responding to the Intercontinental Terminals Company, a storage facility in Deer Park, Texas, after two tanks appeared on fire, the Harris County Emergency Management Joint Information Center said.

Emergency responders are trying to determine which tanks are on fire, an ITC representative said.

"We are coordinating with federal, state, and local officials to resolve the issue as soon as possible," the company said in a statement.

The US Coast Guard has closed part of the Houston Ship Channel near the facility in response to the breach, ITC officials said.

A shelter-in-place order has not been issued in Deer Park at the moment, Harris County emergency management officials tweeted.

The fire had been extinguished Wednesday after burning for several days. It began in a single tank Sunday afternoon and quickly spread to a second tank, the company said.

By Tuesday, seven tanks were burning. The tanks contained chemicals that go into making gasoline, including xylene, naptha and pyrolysis gasoline, known as Pygas.

No serious injuries have been reported. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.