* Second crude unit was shut for turnaround

* No injuries were reported due to blaze

(Updates with company statement)

HOUSTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Production at LyondellBasell’s [ACCELC.UL] 270,000 barrel per day (bpd) Houston refinery was “down to very low rates” with one crude unit shut by a Monday afternoon fire and a second crude unit in the process of restarting from planned work, a company spokesman said.

Crude distillation units do the initial refining of crude oil coming into a refinery.

“We would be down to very low rates,” Harpole said.

The fire broke out at about 2:30 p.m. local time (1930 GMT) at the refinery located along the Houston Ship Channel.

No injuries were reported due to the fire, which was extinguished about an hour after it began, he said. The fire generated heavy black smoke because a product of a grade between residual oil and diesel was was burning, Harpole said.

Local residents were told to remain inside and shut down their air conditioning units due to the smoke.

It was too early to tell what damage the crude unit had sustained and how long it would take to return it to production, he said. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Marguerita Choy)