A plume of smoke from a petrochemical fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company is shown over downtown Houston Monday, March 18, 2019. The large fire at the Houston-area petrochemicals terminal will likely burn for another two days, authorities said Monday, noting that air quality around the facility was testing within normal guidelines. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A massive, jet-black plume of smoke visible for miles across the Houston skyline on Monday afternoon, June 22, 2026, was triggered by a large fire at a warehouse property just southeast of downtown.
The Houston Fire Department (HFD) rushed to the scene along the 700 block of Kellogg Street, near Manchester Street in Houston’s East End. Heavy black smoke quickly billowed into the afternoon sky, drawing the attention of drivers along the Interstate 45 Gulf Freeway and throughout the downtown area.
What is Burning?
First responders arrived to find intense, red-hot flames engulfing a giant stack of discarded tires and trash outdoors next to a warehouse facility.
HFD Containment Strategy on Kellogg Street
[Burning Tire Pile] → Being flooded directly by firehoses to knock down intense heat.
[Property Fence Line] → Critical defensive boundary to prevent spread to Mason Park homes.
[Adjacent Insulation] → Firefighters cooling a large stack of nearby pipe insulation.
The fire quickly intensified due to the highly flammable nature of the rubber tires, which are notoriously difficult to extinguish once ignited.
Beyond the immediate tire pile, firefighters focused heavily on a large stack of pipe insulation sitting right next to the blaze. Crews are dousing the insulation with water to prevent it from catching fire, as authorities note it may have been previously used in regional chemical or petrochemical production, making it exceptionally volatile.
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Impact on the Neighborhood
The fire broke out immediately adjacent to a fence line separating the industrial warehouse property from the residential Mason Park neighborhood.
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| Current Incident Status | Safety Protocols & Realities |
| Injuries Reported | Zero. No civilian or firefighter injuries have been reported. |
| Evacuations/Shelter-in-Place | None. No active evacuation orders are underway for nearby residents. |
| Air Quality Monitoring | Active. Emergency teams are deploying air monitoring equipment to track the drifting smoke. |
Firefighters are working aggressively to keep the fire contained within the fence line to protect nearby homes. While no shelter-in-place orders have been formally issued, environmental teams are beginning air quality testing as the heavy smoke spreads across Southeast Houston. Drivers in the area are urged to remain cautious due to potential rubber-smoke odors and distracted traffic along the nearby Howard exit of the Gulf Freeway.
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