Valero Ardmore Refinery Fire in Oklahoma: What to Know

Undefeated Valero Refinery Explosion Lawyers

Five workers were seriously injured Monday evening, February 9, when a fire broke out at Valero’s Ardmore refinery in Carter County, Oklahoma — just north of the Texas-Oklahoma state line. Several of the injured were transported to hospitals for emergency treatment of severe burns and other life-threatening injuries.

If you or someone you love was hurt in this explosion, the shock and uncertainty you are feeling is understandable. In the aftermath of a refinery fire, families are often left with more questions than answers—and no clear sense of what comes next.

How did this happen?
Could it have been prevented?
And how do you begin to protect your health, your livelihood, and your future?

At Zehl & Associates, our role in moments like this is simple: to give injured workers and their families the information they need to make the best decisions for their families and futures — while we take on the corporations responsible.

With Billions recovered and having successfully represented thousands of industrial workers injured in the worst refinery explosions, chemical plant fires, and oilfield disasters in U.S. history, our undefeated Plant & Refinery Explosion Lawyers know exactly how to hold negligent companies accountable when they fail to protect the people who keep these facilities running. We don’t back down until we secure the justice and full compensation our clients deserve.

Valero’s History of Explosions & Fires

Valero Energy is the second-largest refiner in the United States, operating 15 refineries across North America and the U.K., including the Ardmore facility, which employs roughly 270 workers and processes approximately 90,000 barrels per day.

Unfortunately, the Ardmore fire is not an isolated incident.

Valero has a documented history of serious refinery fires, explosions, and safety failures, including:

January 2025: A large fire at the Valero Three Rivers Refinery in Texas. Our refinery explosion lawyers are proudly representing 4 of the 5 workers who were burned in the explosion
February 2022: A contractor was tragically killed at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery.

April 2022: A fire at Valero Meraux (Chalmette, LA) severely burned two workers and injured six others.
April 2020: A Valero Meraux explosion seriously injured one worker.

Since 2020, Valero has faced dozens of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety citations and paid significant penalties—yet devastating incidents continue to occur.

In our experience representing more than 1,000 industrial accident victims, these tragedies almost always trace back to the same failure: corporations prioritizing production and profits over worker safety. And in most cases, they were entirely preventable.

How Zehl & Associates Fights for Explosion Victims

At Zehl & Associates, we do far more than file lawsuits. We step in immediately to protect injured workers from being overwhelmed, misled, or left without support during the most difficult period of their lives. And we treat all of our clients like family.

From day one, we:

Take control of the investigation, preserving critical evidence before it disappears
Identify every responsible party, including third-party contractors, equipment manufacturers, and parent corporations
Connect clients with top medical specialists experienced in treating severe burns, blast injuries, and toxic exposures
Help cover medical bills and reasonable living expenses while cases are pending
Handle all communication with the company and insurers, so clients can focus on what matters most

Most importantly, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial—forcing the corporation to take your case seriously from day one and helping us secure the maximum compensation possible. Corporations know we will never accept a settlement that doesn’t fully compensate our clients for all their injuries and losses. If they refuse to pay the maximum compensation possible, we will take the case to trial, where we remain undefeated.

Billions Won for Workers and Families Across the United States

Our explosion attorneys have recovered Billions for injured workers and families nationwide, including record-setting victories for plant, refinery, and oilfield accident victims throughout Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and the United States:

#1 Largest Burn Settlement in U.S. History on behalf of a Texas oilfield worker in a Burleson County well blowout
$100M Settlement on behalf of a group of Louisiana workers injured in a refinery explosion
$85.7M Settlement for a refinery contractor seriously injured during a fall from improperly constructed scaffolding
$75M Settlement for six workers injured in a petrochemical plant explosion

We have also secured highly favorable confidential recoveries for:

Families affected by the Williams Station 62 explosion (Gibson, LA)
65 workers injured in the Williams Geismar explosion
Workers aboard the BP Deepwater Horizon

Our team is proud to represent refinery workers injured in the catastrophic Shell Deer Park, TX chemical fire and Pemex Deer Park, TX chemical release, and Louisiana chemical plant contractors harmed in the Smitty’s Supply Inc. fire and environmental disaster.

Injured in the Valero Ardmore Fire: Three Important Things to Know

After a refinery explosion, injured workers are often pressured to make decisions before they fully understand their rights. Here are three essential points to keep in mind:

1. The Company’s Interests Are Not the Same as Yours

After a major incident, employers and their insurers move quickly to protect themselves — often by attempting to limit you to workers’ compensation, minimize the severity of your injuries, and rush you back into work. That does not mean those limits reflect what you are legally entitled to recover. Don’t sign anything or accept any settlement without legal advice. Accepting anything other than your regular paycheck will likely prevent you from filing suit once the true extent of your injuries and their impact on your life becomes apparent.

2. You Have the Right to Choose Your Own Medical Care

You are not required to rely solely on company-selected doctors — and you shouldn’t. Get immediate medical attention from a doctor of your choice. Do not rely solely on doctors chosen — and paid — by Valero or its workers’ comp carrier. Independent medical evaluations are often critical in documenting the true extent of burn injuries, long-term complications, and future care needs.

3. Workers’ Compensation Is NOT Enough

Workers’ comp rarely covers the full impact of a refinery explosion—especially in cases involving permanent injuries, lost future income, or corporate negligence. Don’t limit yourself to workers’ comp. Your benefits won’t come close to covering your weekly wages, let alone pain and suffering, future lost wages, and other damages you could recover in a personal injury lawsuit. Many injured workers have the right to pursue third-party claims that provide far more complete financial recovery.

Undefeated Refinery Accident Lawyers: 1-888-603-3636

Our Undefeated Refinery Accident Lawyers continue to monitor developments related to the Valero Ardmore Refinery fire and will post new information as it becomes available.

Having won billions in record-breaking verdicts and settlements following the worst industrial accidents and explosions in recent history, our refinery explosion attorneys have the resources and experience to take on big corporations like Valero and recover the maximum compensation possible for our clients’ injuries and losses.

If you have questions about the Valero Ardmore Refinery fire, contact us today for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or send us a confidential email through our Contact Form.

All consultations are free, and you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case.