Report: 'Catastrophic loss of life' real threat for Brownsville firefighters at SpaceX explosion grounds

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Just two days after the major explosion at SpaceX on June 18, Brownsville City Manager Helen Ramirez emailed Starbase affiliates to address how the "anomaly" impacted Brownsville emergency services as "one of the most logistically demanding and tactically complex incidents in recent memory."

The email, obtained by ValleyCentral on Tuesday from Ramirez, addressed Marisela Cortez, a SpaceX employee, and Kent Myers, the city administrator of the newly incorporated municipality of Starbase. It details what happened the night of the explosion from the perspective of Brownsville first responders.

The email begins, "We hope that you are well, as important partners in our community, we wanted to share the following incident report prepared by our Public Safety Departments.”

Starship exploded at 11:05 p.m. on June 18. At that moment, the first wave of 911 calls came in to dispatch from residents reporting a loud explosion and an orange sky in the vicinity of Massey's Road. Two minutes later, SpaceX security confirmed a major explosion that took place on or near its launch support facility.

_{This image provided by rocketfuture.org shows a SpaceX rocket explodes at Starbase, SpaceX’s launch site at the southern tip of Texas late Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (rocketfuture.org via AP)}

At 11:19 p.m., SpaceX confirmed there were no injuries as a result of the explosion.

By 11:29 p.m., the Brownsville Fire Department was at the scene with two pumpers, one ambulance, and three command units.

As previously reported by ValleyCentral, the Brownsville Fire Department stated it was placed on standby after arriving at the scene due to fear of a secondary explosion from SpaceX.

"Due to the volatile nature of the incident, BFD crews staged in the designated cold zone alongside SpaceX emergency personnel, approximately one mile from the site," the email reads.

Crews at the scene reported seeing active flames from vertical and horizontal tanks. SpaceX stated that they stored oxygen and methane, elements that pose an extreme explosive potential. It was then that Brownsville crews opted to reassess the situation using SpaceX overhead drones, which could offer real-time thermal imaging of the scene.

"The decision to delay entry was due to the unprecedented danger of cascading explosions, any of which could have led to catastrophic loss of life or further property damage,”

Brownsville City Manger Helen Ramirez wrote in the email

(LabPadre)

Hernandez noted that the explosion was "not a standard fire event."

She cited that the incident posed many challenges: pressurized tanks with highly flammable gases, active flames on containment structures, an unpredictable environment with real potential for a secondary detonation and a strategically managed response perimeter that used drone technology rather than direct crews.

In total, Brownsville deployed five Fire Department pumpers, four medic units, and three support and command crews. Their resources remained at the scene for nearly two hours.

It was not until 12:50 a.m. on July 19, when they were given clearance to leave the SpaceX facility.

Despite the challenges posed by the flame-engulfed rocket and those on the ground, 911 dispatchers were faced with difficult decisions due to an influx of calls.

Between 11 p.m., June 18, and 1 a.m. on June 19, Brownsville dispatchers received 123 911 calls from citizens reporting explosions, structural shaking, visible flames, and glowing skies.

"A major surge in activity for any period, let alone overnight," Ramirez wrote. "It demanded a high-risk, sustained field response while simultaneously flooding dispatch with an overwhelming volume of 911 calls."

Due to this, dispatchers were forced into “rapid-fire triage,” making split-second decisions to prioritize life-threatening emergencies over the panic that had ensued in the city.

Simultaneously, Ramirez notes that public panic ensued across the region, including Brownsville and its surrounding areas, prompting the relocation of emergency services throughout the community.

Dispatchers "doing everything possible to maintain critical response levels under intense mounting pressure, compounding the demands placed on an already strained emergency response system," Ramirez added.

The Brownsville city manager noted the explosion as one of the most logistically demanding incidents that comes to mind for her in Brownsville.

“It tested the city’s capacity to manage a high-risk industrial emergency while preserving safety and operational continuity across the community,” the email stated.

Ramirez closed her email, citing that she was reaching out to increase communication and preparedness from Brownsville crews with the new city that houses SpaceX. She stated that a formal after-action review and debrief would be conducted in collaboration with SpaceX and Starbase to "evaluate response performance, identify areas for improvement and enhance preparedness for future incidents."

“We continue to value our collaboration and would like to continue to actively work with SpaceX and Starbase to assist with the financial and training costs of supporting the Brownsville Police Department and the Brownsville Fire Department regarding critical services rendered during the response. Thank you, and please let me know if you have any questions,” she wrote to close the emailed report.

Brownsville officials were also copied on the email, including Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr., Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda, Briwnsville Fire Chief Jarrett V. Sheldon and City Attorney Will Trevino.

ValleyCentral obtained this email report through a request under the Texas Public Information Act. In addition to this report, ValleyCentral has requested all communication between and among various city of Starbase officials regarding the explosion.

However, as of the time of publication, this is the only document that Starbase has shared in response to our request.