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On February 9, 2026, a fire at Valero’s Ardmore refinery in Ardmore, Oklahoma sent five people to the hospital and has since resulted in at least one death. Even though the incident happened across the state line, it is not “someone else’s problem” for Texans. The oil and gas workforce is regional, the contractors are regional, and the risk is regional.
What happened at the Ardmore refinery
Early reporting and company statements described a fire at the refinery and confirmed that five individuals were transported to hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Later reporting indicated the incident occurred during maintenance work and involved contractor personnel.
You may see the word “explosion” used in some coverage and social posts. At this stage, the most consistently confirmed description in major reporting is a refinery fire, with the cause still under investigation.
The victims and the Texas connection
A worker identified in reporting as Jesse Cole Biscamp of Kirbyville, Texas was airlifted to a burn unit and later died from injuries sustained in the Ardmore incident. That detail matters because it reflects how this industry actually works. Maintenance and turnaround work often pulls crews from Texas into nearby states, and it also pulls workers from nearby states into Texas. The job site may be in Oklahoma one week and in the Houston area the next.
When a refinery incident happens, Texas is connected through:
- Workers and families across Texas communities that supply skilled labor
- Contractor operations that are common across refinery maintenance everywhere, including Texas
- Shared hazard profiles, because the same high-risk conditions exist across the region’s refineries and plants
What the response looked like
Local reporting described a large emergency response and confirmed the fire was extinguished, with injured individuals transported for care. In major industrial events, the first phase is always life safety: rescue, medical stabilization, and hazard control. The second phase is scene control and investigation, because understanding what failed (equipment, procedures, permitting, isolation, oversight) is how the next tragedy gets prevented.
What we know about the cause so far
Valero has stated the cause is under investigation. Additional reporting has described a lawsuit filed by an injured contractor alleging jobsite safety failures and describing the circumstances the plaintiff claims contributed to the incident. Those details are allegations in litigation, not official findings, and should be treated as unproven until investigated and tested.
Why this matters to Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast
Texas refineries and plants are dense across the corridor: Houston’s Energy Corridor, Pasadena, Deer Park, Baytown, Texas City, Port Arthur, and beyond. The same ingredients that can turn a normal shift into a catastrophic event exist across these sites:
- Flammable hydrocarbons and vapors
- Hot surfaces and ignition sources
- High pressure and high temperature systems
- Maintenance periods when equipment is opened, isolated, cleaned, and restarted
- Multiple employers on one site (operator plus contractors), which adds complexity and risk
That is the shared risk. You do not have to work in Ardmore to face Ardmore-type hazards.
If you were hurt in a refinery or oil and gas job, what typically qualifies as a serious case
Industrial cases tend to be worth a closer look when there is:
- A serious injury (burns, fractures, head injury, spine injury, crush injury, amputation, severe chemical exposure)
- Emergency transport or hospitalization, surgery, ICU, burn unit treatment, or ongoing specialist care
- Lost time from work or permanent work restrictions
- A clear hazard event, such as a flash fire, line failure, unplanned release, fall from height, confined space event, or overpressure event
- More than one company involved (contractor work is often where third-party liability questions arise)
This is especially true when the injured person is a contractor, a turnaround worker, or part of a multi-employer crew.
Practical steps after an oil and gas work injury
This is not legal advice. It is how people protect themselves and their future after a serious incident.
- Get medical follow-up and keep records. Burns and inhalation injuries can evolve quickly.
- Write down the basics while it is fresh. Where you were, what task you were doing, who you reported to, and who else was present.
- Save evidence of employment and contractor relationships. Badges, work orders, contractor company name, supervisor names, and shift details matter in multi-employer incidents.
- Do not guess about the cause. Stick to what you observed, experienced, and did.
- Talk to counsel early if the injury is severe. Serious industrial cases often hinge on evidence preservation, timelines, and identifying all responsible parties.
A note for Texas families
The Ardmore incident put five people in the hospital and took the life of a Texas worker. That is the grim math of industrial work: a single failure can change a family’s entire trajectory. If you or someone you love was injured in a refinery, plant, pipeline, or oilfield incident in Texas and the injury is serious, it may be worth getting a real review of what happened and who may be responsible.
Contact our team to discuss what happened and whether you have a case.
