One man dead in Port Arthur auto-business fire; cause still under investigation

One man is dead after a fire and explosion at an automotive business on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur, Texas. Other workers were inside and were not hurt. For the man’s family, authorities have delivered the news no investigation can undo; for investigators, the work of establishing exactly what happened remains unfinished. ¹

The fire was reported at about 6 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2026. KFDM and the full KBTV Fox 4 Beaumont report identify the business as Figueroa Auto Body Collision, 6120 Gulfway Drive. Another local account names a different business, a discrepancy that has not been resolved. ^{1 2 3}

Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Joseph Guillory II confirmed the death and ordered an autopsy. Authorities had identified the man and notified his family, but were withholding his name. His age and connection to the business have not been established publicly; there is no verified basis to describe him as its owner or an employee. The number of other workers present was not given. ¹

The Port Arthur Fire Department is investigating. Investigators believe a spark ignited a gas can, according to KBTV, but that is a preliminary explanation—not a final determination of the fire’s cause. The reporting does not establish where the spark came from or what activity was underway. ¹

That distinction matters. A suspected ignition mechanism is not a complete account of a fatal event, and it does not establish responsibility. Nor does an autopsy order amount to a medical finding: the final medical cause of the man’s death remains unreported. ¹

The conflicting business identification is more than a spelling difference. KFDM’s October 29 report places the fire at Figueroa Auto Body Collision, 6120 Gulfway Drive. The full KBTV account also uses that name and address. But 12News’s October 29 report identifies Boydang’s Automotive and Tire; an alternate initial account gives that business’s address as 6100 Gulfway Drive. ^{1 2 3}

It has not been established whether those names refer to the same premises, neighboring properties or an initial identification error. Until that is clarified, the two street numbers should not be treated as interchangeable, and details attached to one business cannot automatically be assigned to the other. ^{1 2 3}

That limitation applies to the reported sequence. In its account naming Boydang’s, 12News said the fire department received calls around 6 p.m. and nearby residents described hearing a loud explosion before the building caught fire. That is an attributed witness account, not an official finding about the sequence at Figueroa. ³

The broad timing is consistent across the local reports: approximately 6 p.m. on October 29. Publication timestamps falling on October 30 in UTC should not be confused with the local date of the fire. ^{1 2 3}

The next substantive findings are the autopsy results, a determined fire cause and clarification of the business location. No release date for those findings has been announced. The extent of the damage and any timetable for reopening also remain unknown. ^{1 2 3}

There is likewise no verified, incident-specific information establishing road closures, evacuation orders or a shelter-in-place instruction for this fire. That is a gap in the available reporting, not proof that no restrictions occurred. Reports about other Port Arthur fires do not establish what happened on Gulfway Drive that evening.

For now, the clearest account is also the most restrained: a fatal fire and explosion, other workers unharmed, and a suspected gas-can ignition that still needs investigation. The unanswered questions should remain visible—not be filled with assumptions about the man, the business or how he died. ¹