A massive oil refinery in Texas burst into flames, sending smoke billowing through the air Monday night.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene of the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas after multiple people in the neighborhood reported hearing a loud boom that rattled their homes, according to KPLC.

Black smoke was seen billowing up into the sky from the refinery, which processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at a rate of 435,000 barrels each day.

Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said the explosion was likely caused by an industrial heater, KDFM reports.

The explosion has prompted officials to issue a shelter-in-place order for the west part of the city, but no injuries have been reported.

Residents in the surrounding area were also being encouraged to remain indoors, keep windows and odors closed and follow all guidance from local officials.

Valero said in a statement: ‘Currently, there is a fire in a unit at Valero’s Port Arthur, Texas refinery. All personnel have been accounted for. Valero’s emergency response team is responding and coordinating with local authorities.

‘As a precaution, Jefferson County officials have closed State Highways 82 and 87. As always, the safety of our workers is our top priority.’

A massive oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas burst into flames, sending smoke billowing through the air Monday night
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A massive oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas burst into flames, sending smoke billowing through the air Monday night

The refinery processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at a rate of 435,000 barrels each day
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The refinery processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at a rate of 435,000 barrels each day

The explosion has prompted officials to issue a shelter-in-place order for the west part of the city
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The explosion has prompted officials to issue a shelter-in-place order for the west part of the city

It comes amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.

The shutdown has affected Americans at the pump especially, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $3.91, according to AAA.

That’s an increase of 25 percent from a year ago and a shock rise of 33 percent from one month ago, just before the start of the war in Iran.

The Wall Street Journal has since polled economists to see how high oil prices would have to rise – and how long they’d have to stay elevated – to push the US economy towards recession.

They said that oil would have to stay around $138 a barrel for about three months to push the US economy towards a recession.

‘I think that if oil were to hold above $100 for the next three months, we’d likely see very challenging economic conditions in the US,’ Tim Rezvan, managing director oil & gas equity research at KeyBanc Capital Markets, told the Daily Mail.

Rezvan emphasized that even if the war were to end in a week, the lasting economic damage from higher oil prices could pose long-term challenges for the US economy.

When asked how high oil prices would need to go to lift the probability of a US recession, responses ranged from $90 a barrel to $200 – with an average estimate of $138.

The fire continued to rage on through the night
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The fire continued to rage on through the night

The shutdown has affected Americans at the pump especially, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $3.91, according to AAA
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View gallery

The shutdown has affected Americans at the pump especially, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $3.91, according to AAA

Do YOU think incidents like this will push fuel prices even higher?

According to oil market expert Dan Doyle, founder of Reliance Well Services and Arena Resources, domestic US oil production will not save us.

‘The longer the war goes on, the greater the recessionary risk,’ Doyle told the Daily Mail.

Economist Robert Fry said oil would need to be at $125 for eight weeks for the economy to be headed for recession.

‘My forecast is contingent on the assumption that the Strait of Hormuz will be fully open to tanker traffic by mid-April,’ Fry told the Wall Street Journal. ‘If it isn’t, oil prices will go much higher, and I will put a recession in my forecast.’

The economists see the probability of a US recession in the next 12 months at 32 percent – that’s up modestly from the 27 percent probability in the January survey.

However, President Donald Trump said Monday that the Strait would be open ‘real soon’ if a deal he’s teased with Iran works.

‘It’ll be jointly controlled,’ he said of the waterway.

When asked who would be jointly controlling it, Trump added, ‘maybe me, maybe me.’

‘Me and the ayatollah, whoever the ayatollah is, whoever the next ayatollah [is],’ the president continued.