BAYTOWN, TX — A fire has been reported at ExxonMobil's Baytown refinery, according to officials. The city of Baytown said crews are at the scene and there is no need for the community to shelter in place. The refinery is located at 5000 Bayway Drive.<doc-sep>UPDATE: Deer Park fire spreads, shelter-in-place lifted Residents in Deer Park were urged to shelter in place for most of Sunday as a petrochemical fire raged at chemical storage facility in the city of 34,000. The fire started around 10:30 a.m. and residents were advised to take shelter within a half hour as authorities then shut down State Highway 225 from Beltway 8 to Independence Parkway near the Intercontinental Terminals Company plant. ITC spokeswoman Alice Richardson said the fire was feared to have spread to another chemical tank, despite efforts by the company and local emergency responders to extinguish it with foam. "It will go on throughout the night," Richardson said during a press conference as flames and thick black smoke rose behind her. She was unable to estimate when the flames could subside. One of the tanks that caught fire contained naphtha, a component in gasoline which can irritate the nose and throat when breathed, according to officials. Poisonous gases are produced when naphtha is exposed to fire, according to a fact sheet from the New Jersey Department of Health. Only on HoustonChronicle.com: Experimental Texas power plant aims to make electricity cheaper, cleaner Air quality levels near the plant were found to be normal as of Sunday evening, according to assessments conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Harris County Pollution Control, HAZMAT and an independent contractor in Pasadena. Map of the Deer Park ITC fire The tank with the fire symbol over it is believed to be the one where the fire started. The areas highlighted in red are where the fire is believed to have spread. The purple markers are tanks containing Pygas, which is the source of benzene. The blue X markers were empty tanks. The black marker shows where the containment dike breached on Friday afternoon. Created by: Ken Ellis "With the weather, it's kind of wafting up high, which is a good thing for us," Harris County Pollution Control Deputy Director Latrice Babin said. A shift in the wind could mean evacuations, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia warned also at the press conference. A large smoke plume could be seen into the evening stretching across the Houston region. Luke Metzger, executive director of the environmental advocacy group Environment Texas, said concerns about naphtha were justified. "If people were exposed to the chemical, it could irritate and burn their throat and eyes and cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting," Metzger said. "Long-term, it could cause cancer and risk to the kidneys and the nervous system. So, it's nasty stuff." He recommended long term monitoring for health impacts of the chemical fire, citing a joint-effort by Texas health agencies, Rice University and the Environmental Defense Fund to collect data after Hurricane Harvey. "Given the chemical in question, given that the fire has continued for hours and that officials thought a shelter-in-place warning was necessary, that makes me think that a study is warranted to study the health impacts," he said. "As well as strong enforcement action to hold the company accountable for endangering the community." Deer Park ISD was considering canceling school Monday because of the industrial fire. A decision would be made by 6 a.m., Superintendent Victor White Jr. said in a statement The ITC terminal is the second to catch fire over the weekend. On Saturday, there was a fire at an ExxonMobil plant in Baytown. "The safety of our employees, our surrounding community and the environment is our first priority," ITC said in a press release. The Deer Park terminal can store up to 13.1 million barrels of petrochemical liquids and gases, including fuel oil and bunker oil, according to ITC's website. The company owns another terminal in Pasadena. Since 2003, the company has racked up 35 records of emitting air contaminants. There have been two formal enforcement actions for Clean Air Act violations in the past five years. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, when people are instructed to shelter in place because of chemical contaminants that may have been released into the environment, they should close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers and turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems and clothes dryers. Anyone who smells the chemical's gasoline-like odor or experiences adverse effects can report it to the county pollution control at (713) 920-2831. Nicole Hensley contributed to this report. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.<doc-sep>
UPDATE: Eight tanks now on fire at Deer Park plant A fire that broke out Saturday afternoon at Exxon Mobil's Baytown refinery has been contained by emergency officials. No injuries were reported, according to a statement from company spokesperson Sarah Nordin. The company was monitoring air quality but said they did not yet see evidence of "adverse impact." The blaze broke out around 12:30 p.m., affecting a unit that the company said processes motor gasoline. It sent a thick cloud of dark smoke into the sky, captured in videos posted to social media. Exxon and La Porte Office of Emergency Management officials both said that there was no need to find shelter-in-place locations. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox "Pollution Control is still monitoring the air south of the plant around La Porte and Clear Lake with no reading at this time," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. The smoke had spread across much of the Houston skyline and could be seen from miles away. By 4 p.m., it was no longer visible at the site. Exxon Mobil in its statement said the cause of the fire would be investigated. "We deeply regret any disruption or inconvenience that this incident may have caused the community," the statement said. Other safety issues have surfaced at the plant at 5000 Bayway Drive in Baytown. In 2016, a pipeline leak of a highly flammable chemical outside the plant prompted evacuations. It came two months after a shelter-in-place was called due to another release. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.