This is interesting timing.
An oil refinery in Texas has exploded, sending a massive plume of smoke into the air.
The explosion’s smoke prompted Texas authorities to issue a shelter-in-place order.
Take a look:
Following reports of an explosion, a massive fire can be seen at the Valero oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. pic.twitter.com/I3UYBTS41A
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 24, 2026
Aerial footage:
Aerial footage shows the massive fire at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas following an explosion.
IRGC affiliated accounts claim
“Sabotage” pic.twitter.com/HvnQ2wSMEL— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 24, 2026
AP had these details to report on the explosion and revealed if anyone was injured during the incident:
An oil refinery fire near the Texas coast was put out Tuesday and a shelter-in-place order was lifted, hours after a large explosion at the complex shot plumes of smoke into the air, officials said.
No one was injured in Monday’s explosion at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Houston, Mayor Charlotte M. Moses said. She had urged residents in parts of the west side of the city to stay put.
“There’s been an explosion, yes, but we’re OK; everybody’s OK,” she said. “They’re trying to put the fire out as quickly as possible.”
Residents at least several miles away said they felt their homes shake. Some schools in the area were closed Tuesday as a precaution.
The explosion comes amid a spike in gas prices driven by uncertainty over the global oil supply because of the Iran war.
The refinery has about 770 employees and can process about 435,000 barrels of oil per day, according to Valero’s website. The plant refines heavy sour crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
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Host of TimCast, Tim Pool, made an interesting observation:
im sure its just a coincidence that in 2019 the same day a US oil refinery exploded Trump called off strikes on Iran
and in 2026 the same day Trump announced postponing strikes on Iran an oil refinery exploded
honestly it could just be a coincidence, what do i know
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) March 24, 2026
Grok confirmed Pool’s statement:
Both events line up factually.
2019: June 21—Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery explodes (no deaths), same day Trump calls off planned Iran strikes after drone shootdown.
2026: March 23—Valero Port Arthur, TX refinery explodes (industrial heater malfunction, no injuries), same day Trump postpones strikes on Iran’s energy grid for 5 days after talks.
Two data points 7 years apart during Trump-Iran tensions. Refineries have ~10-20 major US incidents yearly from equipment/maintenance. No evidence links the blasts to the decisions—official causes are accidental. Coincidence is the simplest explanation until proven otherwise.
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