Fire Breaks Out at Marathon Oil Refinery in Texas City, Prompting Shelter-in-Place Order
On June 14, 2025, a fire erupted at the Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, triggering a swift response from emergency services and a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. The blaze, reported at approximately 12:25 p.m. CDT, prompted the Texas City Fire Department to mobilize at the facility located on 5th Avenue South, east of 25th Street South. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place directive for the area from Highway 146 to Bay Street, urging residents to stay indoors, seal windows and doors, and disable air conditioning or heating systems to minimize potential exposure to airborne contaminants.
The Texas City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is actively monitoring the situation, with air quality assessments underway to evaluate any environmental impact. As of the latest updates, no information has been released regarding the cause of the fire, the extent of damage, or any injuries. The OEM emphasized its collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure public safety, stating, “Our team is actively monitoring the situation and working closely with the appropriate shareholders.”
The Galveston Bay Refinery, a cornerstone of Marathon Petroleum’s operations, is one of the largest refining complexes in the United States. Following its merger with the former Texas City refinery in 2018, the facility boasts a crude oil refining capacity of 631,000 barrels per calendar day (bpcd). The refinery processes a diverse range of crude oils into products such as gasoline, distillates, natural gas liquids, petrochemicals, heavy fuel oil, and propane. Its strategic location on Galveston Bay, near the Houston Ship Channel, facilitates distribution via pipeline, barge, truck, rail, and ocean tanker, with access to both domestic and export markets. The facility also features an on-site co-generation plant with a capacity of 1,055 megawatts of electricity and 4.3 million pounds of steam per hour, of which approximately 45% powers refinery operations, with surplus electricity sold to the grid.
This incident marks another challenge for the Galveston Bay Refinery, which has faced multiple fires and accidents in recent years, including a fatal blaze in May 2023 that claimed the life of a worker and injured two others. The refinery’s history underscores the inherent risks of operating large-scale petrochemical facilities, particularly in a region densely populated with refineries along the Gulf Coast, which accounts for over 47% of U.S. petroleum refining capacity.
As the situation develops, local officials and Marathon Petroleum are expected to provide further updates on the fire’s cause, containment efforts, and any potential impacts on production or the surrounding community. Residents are advised to follow guidance from the Texas City OEM and stay informed through trusted local sources such as KHOU or ABC13 Houston.
Note: Production statistics are based on the most recent available data from Marathon Petroleum’s official sources.