Automatic source timelineCorpus Christi, TXTimeline updated 9 Sept 2026

Barge B No. 255 fire; Corpus Christi, TX

NOAA initial notification: “On October 20, 2017, a barge caught fire in the Port Aransas anchorage area. It is still on fire. Barge is carrying 133,000 bbls crude oil of a type unknown. At this time, extent of discharge is unknown. Location is approximately 3 miles off the beach on the Gulf side. Sector […]”[1]

Follow the timeline Latest included source reportOriginal sources (4)

Latest included source report

Posted 22 Oct 2017

Latest source report

“News Release Oct. 22, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: (281) 464-4810 After Hours: (832) 293-1293 Coast Guard suspends search for 2 missing crewmembers offshore of Port Aransas, Texas CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard suspended its search for two crewmembers offshore of Port […]” Current outcome is not independently verified by seahazards.[4]

NOAA report chronology

4 dated source records · 20 Oct 2017 to 22 Oct 2017
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NOAA incident record opened

Initial notification excerpt: “On October 20, 2017, a barge caught fire in the Port Aransas anchorage area. It is still on fire. Barge is carrying 133,000 bbls crude oil of a type unknown. At this time, extent of discharge is unknown. Location is approximately 3 miles off the beach on the Gulf side. Sector Corpus has contacted NOAA SSC and requested trajectory.”

NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track

Initial incident area only. Dates are NOAA postings, not a vessel track. Playback advances every 5 seconds.

Milestone 1 of 4: 20 Oct 2017. NOAA incident record opened. NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track

  1. NOAA incident record opened

    Initial notification excerpt: “On October 20, 2017, a barge caught fire in the Port Aransas anchorage area. It is still on fire. Barge is carrying 133,000 bbls crude oil of a type unknown. At this time, extent of discharge is unknown. Location is approximately 3 miles off the beach on the Gulf side. Sector Corpus has contacted NOAA SSC and requested trajectory.”

    NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track (27.840°, -97.090°)

    NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

  2. USCG press release

    Source report excerpt: “Coast Guard responds to barge fire near Port Aransas, Texas U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 10/20/2017 12:59 PM EDT News Release Oct. 20, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: (281) 464-4810 After Hours: (832) 293-1293 Coast Guard responds to barge fire near Port Aransas, Texas Editors' Note: Click on images to download high resolution version. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Coast Guard is responding to a vessel that caught fire Friday morning three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas, Texas. At 4:35 a.m., Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a mayday from the captain of the […]”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive

  3. USCG press update

    Source report excerpt: “UPDATE: Coast Guard responds to barge fire offshore of Port Aransas, Texas U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 10/20/2017 07:50 PM EDT News Release Oct. 20 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: (281) 464-4810 After Hours: (832) 293-1293 UPDATE: Coast Guard responds to barge fire offshore of Port Aransas, Texas Editors' Note: Click on images to download high resolution version. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and a Bouchard Transportation representative continue to respond to a barge that caught fire Friday morning three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas, […]”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive

  4. USCG suspends search for missing crew

    Source report excerpt: “News Release Oct. 22, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: (281) 464-4810 After Hours: (832) 293-1293 Coast Guard suspends search for 2 missing crewmembers offshore of Port Aransas, Texas CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard suspended its search for two crewmembers offshore of Port Aransas, Texas Saturday evening. The two men went missing after the forward section of a barge they were on exploded and caught fire Fridaymorning, three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas. The Coast Guard completed a comprehensive search for the two unaccounted crewmembers on Friday and Saturday. Multiple oil […]”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive
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Details in the record

Source record
NOAA IncidentNews 9604[1]
Dated source updates
3[2][3][4]

Reading this account

Automatically assembled from NOAA's incident record and substantive Public Affairs or Situation Update posts. Dates are NOAA posting dates, which can differ from when events happened or original reports were published. Excerpts retain the source's wording and uncertainty. This account does not independently establish the cause, current outcome or safety of the area. NOAA coverage is selective; missing updates do not mean nothing happened. The map shows one approximate incident area, not a vessel track.

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Original sources

Timeline updated 9 Sept 2026. New reports and changes to this NOAA incident are incorporated automatically; this is not a live incident feed.

  1. 1.Barge B No. 255 fire; Corpus Christi, TX ↗NOAA Office of Response and Restoration · 20 Oct 2017
  2. 2.USCG press release ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 20 Oct 2017
  3. 3.USCG press update ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 21 Oct 2017
  4. 4.USCG suspends search for missing crew ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 22 Oct 2017

Related records in our archive

Original source text, preserved separately from this account.

NOAAORR-9604 NOAA response record
Barge B No. 255 fire; Corpus Christi, TX.
Corpus Christi, TX.
1. On October 20, 2017, a barge caught fire in the Port Aransas anchorage area. It is still on fire. Barge is carrying 133,000 bbls crude oil of a type unknown. At this time, extent of discharge is unknown. Location is approximately 3 miles off the beach on the Gulf side. Sector Corpus has contacted NOAA SSC and requested trajectory.
2. THREAT: OIL. COMMODITY: CRUDE OIL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 5586000 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 27.840N 097.090W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 9604: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/9604
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