Harris County investigators respond after reported tank fire at Sheldon Road refinery in East Houston area

Incident reported near Jacintoport Boulevard as local and on-site crews carried out cooling operations

Investigators with the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office were dispatched Wednesday night, March 4, to an industrial fire reported at a facility on the 1500 block of Sheldon Road near Jacintoport Boulevard in east Harris County, after multiple calls described burning tanks. The incident drew a multi-agency response that included local fire crews and the facility’s own emergency team.

Authorities said the fire was reported at about 8 p.m. and was tied to the Petromax Refining Company site in the same Sheldon Road corridor. Responding firefighters found that crews from the Channelview Fire Department were already working alongside the refinery’s fire brigade to control conditions around the tanks.

As the response continued, firefighters conducted cooling operations using water around the affected area. Hazardous materials personnel were also requested as a precaution during the incident, reflecting standard practice for tank-related fires where the contents and potential airborne impacts may not be immediately confirmed.

Status update: no injuries reported, scene remained active during assessment

By the time officials provided an update, the fire had been extinguished. Authorities said all personnel at the facility had been accounted for and no injuries were reported. Even after visible fire conditions were no longer present, crews remained on scene to evaluate the situation and secure the area.

During the response, residents in the vicinity reported a strong chemical odor. Investigators said there were no visible flames when crews arrived, underscoring that some incident conditions can evolve between initial 911 calls and the arrival of responding units.

What investigators are working to determine

The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said the cause of the incident remained under investigation early Thursday. Officials were also working to determine what materials were burning inside the tanks referenced in initial reports.

• Origin and cause: how the incident began and what conditions contributed to it.
• Tank contents: what products or materials were involved and whether any release occurred.
• Operational impacts: whether any unit shutdowns or safety measures were triggered during the response.

Authorities said additional updates would be provided as more information becomes available.

The Sheldon Road and Jacintoport-area corridor sits within a heavily industrialized part of east Harris County, where industrial incidents can prompt heightened monitoring due to the presence of storage tanks and process equipment. Officials have not released an estimate of damage or a timeline for the investigative findings.