Massive Flares At Corpus Christi Refinery Sparked By Power Outage

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Multiple fire officials are at the scene of a Corpus Christi refinery on Monday after a massive flaring.

The blaze at the Corpus Christi refinery seen along Interstate 37 was initially believed to be a huge fire, but was later determined to be a mass flaring sparked after a power outage sometime before noon, KIII reported. Flaring is a process by which pressure is released at refineries as a safety precaution.

Officials with Valero, which owns the refinery, said the plant underwent "ground flaring," different from the normal variety Coastal Bend residents are accustomed to seeing from the tall smokestacks at refineries, the station explained.

Company officials said employees were evacuated from the plant, and no injuries were reported. Police shut down traffic in the vicinity to accommodate emergency crews.

Corpus Christi is a coastal city fronting the Gulf of Mexico where much refinery occurs. Police highly urged motorists to avoid the area in order to relieve considerable traffic congestion near the site that could inhibit the work of fire crews.

By Monday afternoon, state regulators reportedly began to check the air quality in the area as a result of the flaring.

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