A quiet Sunday morning in Texas City turned tense when a shelter-in-place order went out for parts of town after a reported plant fire at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery, according to city officials. Residents in the affected area were told to stay inside while emergency crews responded and kept an eye on air quality. As teams got a better handle on the situation, authorities scaled the order back to a smaller cluster of neighborhoods.
An online alert posted on the city’s website at about 9:46 a.m. announced, “A shelter in place has been issued for the City of Texas City from Bay Street Park to SH‑146,” according to the City of Texas City. The notice said emergency responders were on scene, air monitoring was underway, and updates would follow as officials learned more.
Texas City Police told ABC13 the initial order covered residents from Bay Street to SH‑146, but by about 10:20 a.m. it had been narrowed to homes between 14th Street and 34th Street. ABC13 reported that response crews were heading to the refinery as officials worked to pin down what started the blaze.
Where the Fire Was Reported and the Plant's Profile
The reported fire was at Marathon’s Galveston Bay refinery, a sprawling complex on Galveston Bay along the Houston Ship Channel. Marathon’s fact sheet lists the refinery’s crude capacity at about 631,000 barrels per calendar day and describes the site as a merged complex that covers multiple former plants. Company documents also note that the refinery maintains air-monitoring and emergency response protocols for incidents on the property.
A History of Local Alarms
Texas City has dealt with shelter-in-place orders tied to Marathon operations before, including a sulfur-dioxide release in 2023 and a fire that led to a temporary shelter order in June 2025, according to the Houston Chronicle. In past cases, officials have typically set up perimeter air monitoring and issued an all-clear once readings returned to normal ranges.
What Residents Should Do
Authorities advised anyone inside the affected zone to head indoors, shut windows and doors, and turn off heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems while the order is in effect. The city’s emergency-siren guidance explains that a high-low tone means residents should seek shelter, while a continuous tone signals an all-clear, according to the City of Texas City’s emergency materials. Officials say anyone who feels unwell or notices strong odors should contact emergency services right away.
Local officials and news outlets are continuing to track the situation and say more details will be released as air monitoring wraps up and investigators work to determine the cause of the fire. The City of Texas City and ABC13 shared the initial alerts, and further eyewitness and official updates may follow as the response continues.
