Undefeated Refinery Explosion Lawyers
Five workers were injured early last night when a fire broke out at Valero’s Ardmore refinery in Oklahoma, including some who were seriously burned.
What We Know About the Valero Ardmore Refinery Fire
The fire ignited early in the evening of February 9th inside the 86,000-barrels-per-day Admore facility located at 1 Valero Way in Carter County, Oklahoma. It’s not clear where exactly the blaze broke out or what might have triggered it, but media reports indicate that smoke was seen rising from the refinery late in the afternoon.
According to a company statement, Valero emergency crews, along with local and state agencies, responded to the fire. Several helicopters were also seen flying over the facility last night.
Some Valero Workers Burned
All refinery workers have been accounted for, including five people taken to the hospital.
“Earlier this evening, a fire occurred at Valero’s Ardmore Refinery. The fire has been extinguished. Five individuals were transported to the hospital for medical evaluation and/or treatment,” Valero said in a statement issued Monday night. “Our primary concern is for the people and safely securing the facility. We are coordinating with state and local agencies, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.”
The nature and extent of injuries is still unknown. However, KXII 12, a station based in Sherman, Texas, reported that the Ardmore Fire Department was assisting burn victims.
Valero Ardmore Explosion Injured 2 in 2020
Located approximately 100 miles south of Oklahoma City and 100 miles north of Dallas, the Valero Ardmore Refinery employs around 270 people and ranks among Ardmore’s largest employers. The refinery primarily processes Permian Basin and Cushing-sourced sweet crude into gasoline and diesel.
According to media reports, the Ardmore refinery last experienced an emergency in April 2020, when an explosion and fire erupted while crews were troubleshooting a pressure safety valve.
Two employees were injured in that incident: one sustained thermal burns and another suffered serious orthopedic injuries.
Other Valero Refinery Explosions and Fires
The Ardmore, Oklahoma, plant is not the only Valero refinery to have reported a fire or explosion in the last several years.
Most recently, a fire broke out at the Valero Three Rivers Refinery in Texas on New Year’s Day 2025. While the company maintained that no one had been injured in the blaze, it was later revealed that five workers suffered third-degree burns.
Our Plant Explosion Lawyers are proudly representing 4 of the 5 injured workers.
In April 2022, eight workers were hurt when an explosion at Valero’s Meraux refinery in Louisiana, including two who were severely burned. According to the company, the incident occurred on the facility’s crude distillation unit during a maintenance shutdown. Just two years earlier, another explosion on the Meraux refinery’s hydrocracking unit sent a Valero worker to the hospital and released up to 5,500 pounds of sulfur dioxide into the surrounding area.
In April 2018, an explosion erupted at Valero’s Texas City Refinery. Although the company initially said no one had been injured, it later acknowledged that four contractors were hurt while attempting to escape the blaze. Less than a year earlier, a large fire at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery sent more than 1 million pounds of potentially toxic emissions into the air over southeast Texas, forcing nearby residents to shelter in place for hours.
What to Do After a Valero Refinery Accident
If you or a loved one were hurt in a Valero refinery accident or explosion, you might assume the company will be there for you. But having successfully represented thousands of injured refinery workers, we’ve found that operators almost always prioritize their bottom line over the well-being of victims and their families. In fact, they and their insurers almost always have teams of attorneys and investigators on call to immediately deploy to an accident scene with one goal: to limit your financial recovery to whatever workers’ compensation benefits you might be entitled to, no matter the extent of your injuries and losses.
If you’re going to have any chance of recovering the maximum compensation possible, it’s critical that you move just as quickly to protect your legal rights:
- Get medical care immediately, even if injuries seem minor. Burns, inhalation injuries, and head trauma are often more serious than they appear at first and may worsen hours or days later.
- Report the incident through official channels, but avoid speculation. Cooperate with emergency response and internal reporting requirements, but do not guess about causes or accept blame while facts remain unclear.
- Document everything as soon as you are able. If it’s at all possible, take photos and video of the scene, including any damaged equipment. Write down everything you remember while it’s still fresh, even the smallest details. It’s impossible to know what might be important later.
- Preserve work clothes and protective equipment. Do not wash or discard clothing, gloves, or PPE worn at the time of the fire or explosion. Preserve them in a clean plastic bag and turn them over to your attorney.
- Follow all medical instructions and attend every appointment. Ignoring treatment recommendations, skipping medical and therapy appointments, and failing to comply with your doctors’ restrictions will certainly be used to argue your injuries were exaggerated or didn’t occur at all.
- Don’t count on workers’ compensation. Income replacement benefits only cover a portion of your paycheck, and they don’t come close to covering your pain and suffering or other damages you could recover in a personal injury lawsuit.
- Don’t assume you can’t file a lawsuit. You may have claims against third-party contractors whose actions or conduct contributed to your injuries. In rare cases—for example, gross negligence—you may be able to sue your employer, even if you are collecting workers’ comp.
- Stay off social media. Photos, comments, or casual updates can be taken out of context and used to challenge the seriousness of your injuries.
- Be aware that the company may hire investigators to monitor you. Injured workers are sometimes surveilled or secretly videotaped. Even something as innocent as carrying a light bag of groceries could be used to cast doubt on your injuries.
Questions About the Valero Ardmore Refinery Fire? Contact Our Undefeated Refinery Explosion Lawyers at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here
Our Undefeated Refinery Accident Lawyers are monitoring developments related to the Valero Ardmore Refinery fire and will post an update if any new information becomes available.
Having won billions in record-breaking verdicts and settlements—including the #1 Largest Burn Settlement in History—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.