Deer Park plant fire may have been sparked by overheated storage tank, worker says

Firefighters continue to battle a petrochemical fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company, after it grew in size due to a lack in water pressure last night Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Deer Park, Texas. Firefighters continue to battle a petrochemical fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company, after it grew in size due to a lack in water pressure last night Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Deer Park, Texas. Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 137 Caption Close Deer Park plant fire may have been sparked by overheated storage tank, worker says 1 / 137 Back to Gallery

A worker who said he was at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. when the fire first erupted Sunday morning first noticed smoke rising from a chemical storage tank.

He left the terminal within a half-hour and by then, "It was roaring up."

The man, who asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions, said speculation among his colleagues is that parts of the tank may have overheated. The tanks overheat from time to time, he said, but normally have a safety mechanism that can shut them off.

For whatever reason, that safety mechanism may not have been enough to prevent the fire, he said.

"Everyone thinks a tank overheated," he said.

DEER PARK PLANT FIRE: Blaze extinguished, but situation far from over

Video of the initial incident on Sunday showed flames on the ground between several tanks.

ITC officials have not said what started the massive blaze. The cause remains under investigation.

The fire ignited around 10:30 a.m. and first spread to a tank containing naphtha on the industrial grounds about two miles north of Texas 225 near the Battleship Texas State Historic Site and Buffalo Bayou.

The blaze churned through the terminal, engulfing as many as eight units at one point and sending a massive plume of black smoke drifting across the Houston area and stretching northwest of the city.

TOMLINSON: Black smoke over Houston is part of the deal

The fire surged again late Monday as a loss of water pressure hampered firefighting efforts. By late Tuesday, the plume lost much of its height and volume even as the fire was expected to continue through Wednesday.

The company's storage facility along the Houston Ship Channel contains 242 tanks capable of holding petrochemical liquids and gases, including oil products. It has been located in the channel area for the past 47 years alongside several energy-producing corporations synonymous with Houston.

The worker said he and his colleagues expected the fire to have been put out in the hours after it started but that never happened.

Now, he explained, "It's like putting out a 55-gallon drum with a squirt gun," he said.

The worker asked that his name and company not be identified. He provided photos of the facility.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

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