Blast rocks oil refinery in Texas (VIDEOS)

A massive oil refinery explosion has resulted in a fire in Port Arthur, Texas. Footage from eyewitnesses shows flames and thick black smoke billowing above the Valero facility.

Police believe an industrial heater caused the blaze, according to local media; there are no reports of injuries.

Local residents described hearing a loud boom and feeling their homes shake from miles away as first responders were dispatched to the plant following reports of an explosion on Monday evening. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the west side of Port Arthur, according to local outlet 12News.

Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said authorities were responding to the incident.

Antonio Mitchell of the Port Arthur Fire Department also confirmed there was an incident at the Valero facility while crews were still heading to the scene.

Valero’s Port Arthur refinery is one of the major refining sites on the Texas Gulf Coast with a crude oil processing capacity of up to 430,000 barrels per day.

Fuel prices in the United States were already spiking before the incident in Port Arthur. The American Automobile Association said the national average for a gallon (3.78 liters) of regular gasoline rose to about $3.95 on March 23, up from roughly $2.95 before the US and Israel launched their bombing campaign against Iran on February 28.