Emergency management officials blame a lightning strike for a fire at a refinery near Houston.
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A fire was reported within the Valero refinery in Texas City before 7 a.m. Thursday.
Duckett said the lightning hit a transformer and oil inside it was ignited. Firefighters on scene say they have the situation under control and are letting the fire burn itself out. Multiple people on social media told Eyewitness News they could see thick, black smoke coming from the facility.
Refinery personnel were conducting air monitoring along the unit’s fence line, Valero spokesman Steve Lee said.
Valero’s statement said no impacts to the community were expected due to the lightning strike, but didn’t indicate whether production at the refinery was affected.
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CenterPoint Energy reported about 14,000 customers in the Houston area without electricity amid storms that could linger through Friday.
