Fire at Exxon refinery sends plume of smoke over Houston

By Erwin Seba and Jessica Resnick-Ault

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fire erupted at Exxon Mobil Corp's Baytown, Texas refinery on Thursday afternoon, sending a large plume of black smoke into the air that was visible for miles across Houston.

Exxon said the fire was later extinguished, no workers were injured and output would not be hurt at the 560,500 barrel per day oil refinery, the second-largest in the United States.

The company provided no information on the affected unit but said it would monitor air quality around the complex and the community.

Television footage showed firefighters extinguishing the blaze on one of the plant's towers.

People in the vicinity and the U.S. Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service near the Houston Ship Channel had first reported smoke coming from the facility, which includes a chemical plant.

Emergency management officials did not immediately comment.

(Additional reporting by Kristen Hays and Liz Hampton; Editing by Terry Wade and David Gregorio)