The stubborn blaze at the International Terminals Co. in Deer Park grew in size as it churned through chemical storage tanks for a third day on Tuesday as city, county and state leaders sought to assure anxious residents the fire posed no immediate health risk. The officials pledged to commit all available local resources to assist in firefighting and protect residents from pollution, though they were unable to estimate when the fire may be put out and conceded that extinguishing the blaze is the responsibility of ITC. “What I can say is, everyone is doing their absolute best,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who declined to say if she was satisfied with petroleum company’s response to date. “We are observing and supporting the situation.” Fire crews working for ITC said they finally were able to fight the fire offensively after a two-day stalemate, with the help of foam retardant and additional personnel. The company shut off pipelines and equipment near the blaze to reduce the risk of explosion. The fire has forced Houston-area residents to grapple with the consequences of living so close to the heart of the nation’s petrochemical industry in ways previous accidents had not. Unlike invisible benzene discharges in east Houston or a gasoline leak into Buffalo Bayou after Hurricane Harvey, the Deer Park conflagration has sent a foreboding plume of dark smoke over Harris County, visible more than 30 miles away. A Bryan TV station reported the fire has caused a haze in the skies over Brazos, Grimes, Montgomery, Walker and Waller counties. Beneath the cloud, business continued as usual in much of the county, though communities along the Houston Ship Channel remained disrupted. Jacinto City and Galena Park ISD canceled all afternoon outdoor activities while a fifth of Deer Park ISD students stayed home from school. ITC spokeswoman Alice Richardson grew emotional as she apologized to Deer Park residents, tearing up as she added about a third of the firm’s employees live in the small east Harris County city. “This isn’t an event we wanted,” she said at a Tuesday morning news conference. “Many of my employees work in the city of Deer Park, they live in Deer Park, they’re out there fighting this fire ... they’re concerned, their families are concerned. So, of course, ITC would apologize to any of them.” Around-the-clock firefighting efforts since the fire began Sunday morning have failed to quell the blaze, the origin of which had yet to determined. Seven tanks were ablaze early Tuesday evening — up from five hours earlier — while two had collapsed; three others had been extinguished and three had yet to be touched by flames. The fire is within a block of 15 storage tanks on the southern edge of the plant. The tanks that are burning contain gasoline blends, base oils, xylene, pyrolysis gasoline and naptha. "Fuel has burned off," Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said at a news conference at the company's Pasadena plant. "That may be what has to happen. What I can't tell you is how long that will take." Two additional chemical tanks caught fire at the plant on Independence Parkway early Tuesday after water pressure dropped. Authorities originally said two fireboat pumps providing water to firefighters malfunctioned for about six hours, but said in the afternoon that information was incorrect and that crews were investigating the cause of the pump failure. A worker who said he was at the plant Sunday morning described seeing smoke rise from one of the tanks, which developed into a fire within half an hour. “It started on the ground and crept its way up the tank,” the worker said. “Everyone thinks a tank overheated.” He added that tanks can often overheat, but typically have a safety mechanism to shut off if necessary. For whatever reason, that safety mechanism may not have been enough to prevent the fire, he added. Leaders address air quality At a news conference at TranStar, Hidalgo, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. sought to calm residents’ fears that the plume posed serious health risks. Flanked by more than a dozen city and county emergency response officials, the trio pledged to devote all available resources to measuring air quality. “I know the cloud of dark smoke seems ominous as it spreads over parts of the city of Houston, but we want to assure that the air quality is being monitored around the clock,” Turner said. Dr. Umair Shah, director of Harris County Public Health, urged residents to check on relatives and neighbors who are elderly or have respiratory issues and, thus, are more susceptible to changes in air quality. The plume darkened the sky north of the TranStar building on Old Katy Road, as if a thunderstorm was imminent. Passengers on aircraft approaching William P. Hobby Airport, 12 miles southwest of Deer Park, snapped photographs of black smoke billowing from the site. Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s staff meteorologist, said the fire is so large it is creating localized weather patterns, much as wildfires do in the West. He said the plume soared from 4,000 to 6,200 feet on Tuesday, where it posed no risk to human health. Lindner said a fog Wednesday morning could pull harmful particulates toward the ground, though he pegged that outcome as only 10 percent likely. The ash spewed high in the air by the blaze is far from being concentrated enough to cause a hazard to human health, said Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton, who visited the ITC site Tuesday. “It’s annoying. It’s like walking through smoke, but it’s not toxic,” he said. Hidalgo said Harris County is publishing real-time air quality monitor data online to keep the public updated. Each of the dozens of monitors near the plume on Tuesday evening indicated a low risk of air pollution. The Chronicle asked if the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was testing the soil of the surrounding area or the runoff from fighting the fire. The Chronicle asked for the results of those tests, if performed, as well as the reports from any mobile air monitoring units. "Specifics regarding test results and emergency response efforts will be available once the investigation is completed," TCEQ spokesperson Marty Otero said. Despite assurances from local officials, many residents near the ITC facility were reluctant to take chances. Of the more than 13,000 students who attend Deer Park ISD, more than 2,600 were absent Tuesday. Matt Lucas, a spokesman for the district, said officials will ask the Texas Education Agency for a waiver to excuse those students and said students who chose not to come while the fire burns out will be excused. "You’re the parent and you have to make a decision that’s best for your child," Lucas said Tuesday. "We’re not going to hold that against them." Lucas did not know if wind and weather forecasts would allow them to keep schools open Wednesday, but said the district would call and text parents once officials make a decision. Industry takes lead Though Houston and Harris County officials are in constant contact with ITC — the firm has embedded two employees in the county’s emergency management headquarters — local government plays only a supporting role in battling the blaze. Most of the firefighting is being performed by private firm Channel Industries Mutual Aid, whose firefighters are specially trained for chemical fires. Harris County has deployed its Hazmat team and Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Peña said he has dispatched an ambulance bus and crew at the request of ITC, though he said sending regular firefighters may be unwise. “It is a very technical environment that they’re working in,” Peña said. “We will depend on the plant experts to tell us what they can control … as far as their concerns about the volatility of the product that’s in these tanks.” He added that the best course of action may be to let the fire burn itself out, as extinguishing the blaze without securing its fuel sources could subject adjacent neighborhoods to hazardous, ground-hugging fumes. Christensen said the county fire marshal’s office will begin its investigation when the fire is out. Firefighters from the Deer Park, Channelview, La Porte and Atascocita also were assisting. Staff writers Shelby Webb, Matt Dempsey, Nicole Hensley, R.A. Schuetz and Julian Gill contributed reporting. Zach Despart covers Harris County for the Chronicle. You can follow him on twitter or email him at zach.despart@chron.com .<doc-sep>UPDATE: Shelter-in-place alert issued for Deer Park after high benzene levels detected 6:50 p.m. update A fireball erupted at the Intercontinental Terminal Co. several hours after fire crews extinguished the days-long petrochemical blaze, causing black smoke to rise from the industrial site once again. An ITC spokeswoman attributed the soaring flames to a flare-up in a tank containing xylene, which was one of the first storage containers to catch fire. There was likely a break in the foam being poured on the tank, she said. Vapor can then ignite when it hits hot metal, she added. Deer Park Emergency Services Director Robert Hemminger said the fire was extinguished within 30 seconds. A strip of smoke, thinner than what had stretched across the Houston region since Sunday, poured out of the terminal site for several minutes before dissipating. The spokeswoman said similar flare-ups could continue to happen as crews spray foam among the razed chemical tanks. Earlier story below The cause of the dayslong chemical fire at a Deer Park plant remains under investigation as emergency crews douse what's left of the now-extinguished blaze and prepare for clean-up, company officials said Wednesday. Fire crews extinguished the blaze at Intercontinental Terminals Co. about 3 a.m., almost four days after it started on Sunday morning and which caused a plume of black smoke to linger over the Houston area. How long the cleanup will take is unclear. Firefighters are continuing to spray foam on the 15 tanks in the affected area to prevent the blaze from sparking again and steam and smoke may still be visible from the area. Eleven of the tanks, many containing gasoline components, were affected by fire. "Reignition is possible, but with every passing hour, our risk of that is reduced," ITC spokeswoman Alice Richardson said Wednesday. "Our goal is to be good neighbors — good neighbors to our industry, good neighbors to our community. We're sorry for what has happened." ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Deer Park company battling fire accused of intentionally polluting water during Harvey No serious injuries have been reported since the fire started at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Air quality levels were still at moderate levels Wednesday morning, according to AirNow.gov. The Environmental Protection Agency is conducting air and water quality tests at the fire site and in the plume, EPA on-site coordinator Adam Adams said. The most concerning materials are particulates and "volatile organic compounds," but no hazardous levels have been found. "Had we gotten some significant results that were hazardous, we would share that information with our stakeholders in the community as soon as possible to take action," Adams said at a news conference Wednesday morning at ITC's Pasadena plant. The EPA is also looking into the potential impact at the Houston Ship Channel, Adams said. Water quality tests there have not yet been returned, determining what chemicals might have infiltrated the runoff. Adams declined to comment on whether the EPA would spark its own investigation after the fact and said the organization is more concerned with the immediate monitoring for now. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: In Deer Park, 3 days of burning and a round of golf The difference-maker between Tuesday morning — when officials walked back earlier estimates and declined to say when the fire would be snuffed out — was an offensive approach to the firefighting, Richardson said. "They continued that proactive attack, tank by tank, and it was successful," she said. It's unknown how full the 11 damaged tanks were prior to the fire, and how full they are now. The tank that sparked the incident — 80-8, a tank of naphtha in the middle of the 15-tank block — was the fullest, with 72,000 barrels. Another had 60,000 barrels, and several others were well below that, said David Wascome, vice president of operations at ITC. The tanks are able to be filled to 80,000 barrels. The tanks that burned contained gasoline blends, base oil, pyrolysis gasoline, naptha and xylene. Two of the tanks were empty, officials said. The foam that is being sprayed in the plant is effectively creating a seal covering the chemicals, Wascome said. "We're treating it as if those could be VOCs (volatile organic compounds)," he said. The amount of damage to the tanks is unknown. Many of them will have to be demolished, Wascome said. Investigators with the Harris County Fire Marshal's office are on site to help determine the cause of the fire, Richardson said, Nicole Hensley contributed to this report Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@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>
A flare up occurred on Wednesday afternoon, but it was contained. Harris County and the City of Houston, as well as the EPA and the TCEQ, continue monitoring air quality. Updated on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 6:50 p.m. The cause of the massive fire at the Deer Park petrochemical storage facility is currently under investigation and Harris County and the City of Houston continue monitoring air quality. The fire was extinguished as of early Wednesday morning, according to a press release from Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC). Firefighters put out all tank fires as of 3 a.m. on Wednesday, using spray foam and water to cool the tanks and prevent them from reigniting. The fire erupted on Sunday, and as of Tuesday afternoon eight of the facility’s 15 tanks were still ablaze. Rachel Moreno, a public information officer with the Harris County Fire Marshal Office, confirmed that there was a flare up on Wednesday afternoon but it was contained. Firefighting crews, including the county's hazardous materials team, remained at the site on Wednesday afternoon. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said at a news conference held at 4:30 p.m. that the county's Emergency Operations Center was still activated and experts were monitoring air quality on site and across the county using “extremely conservative estimates to decide what the threshold would be for dangerous levels or air quality.” Hidalgo said federal and state agencies are studying the environmental impacts of the fire. Sampling for benzene Mayor Sylvester Turner said the City of Houston is also monitoring the air quality. He said they're sampling for benzene and 50-plus other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted air quality tests throughout the Houston area, both on the ground and from a small airplane, and “measured no levels of hazardous concentrations,” said agency official Adam Adams. The EPA also reviewed data collected by ITC, Harris County and by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Those data didn't show hazardous concentrations of volatile organic compounds, Adams said. The TCEQ said in a statement that the benzene levels it found near and around the storage facility don't pose a health concern. The agency, along with the EPA, are waiting for test results of water samples to determine any potential impacts from the foam used to fight the fire on waterways next to the storage facility, including the Houston Ship Channel. The Harris County Public Health Department said in a statement that based on current health-related data from multiple sources, “there continues to be a low health risk for the general public.” Residents are concerned But some residents who live near the storage facility said Wednesday they don’t have confidence in the air quality test results. “Everything has been wrapped up in this nice perfect bow in saying that there were no problems. Every air quality was perfect. Every wind was perfect blowing it away. And if everything was so perfect, why did it happen?,” longtime Deer Park resident Terri Garcia said. Bryan Parras, an organizer in Houston with the Sierra Club, said some residents who live near the facility have experienced various symptoms since the fire, including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds. He said his environmental group has concerns not just about the air quality, but about potential impacts to the environment and the fishing industry if chemicals from the storage facility or foam used to fight the fire leaked into the Houston Ship Channel, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico. “This issue isn’t over just because the fire is out. We want systems in place that will protect our communities,” Parras said. ITC released a report on air quality written by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH), a company they hired. The report said that the VOCs and other materials that were detected “have been below levels that would represent a public health concern.” Accountability Hidalgo was asked whether Harris County will sue ITC and said “the county, as well as the state and federal levels, are exploring all options and there will be accountability.” ITC said no serious injuries have been reported as a result of the incident, but the cause of the fire still remains unknown. “As soon as it is safe to get our personnel in the tank farm, we will begin a root cause investigation,” said Richardson.