Residents have been ordered to seek shelter and turn off their air conditioning after several explosions were reported at a chemical plant near Houston Friday.
The shelter-in-place order went into effect for those within a 2-mile radius of the DrillChecm chemical plant in Conroe which burst into flames around 4:44 p.m. local time, fire officials said.
While it’s not yet clear how the fire started, the company has told authorities that the last employee left about 30 minutes before it erupted and fire officials don’t believe anyone is inside.
Conroe’s Fire Marshal has since reported the fire as under control and that a Hazmat team is at the scene. Their work includes monitoring the air quality with the plant suspected of holding hazardous materials.
Photos and video taken at the scene has shown flames flicking several stories into the sky while the billowing black smoke has been reported from miles away, KHOU reported.
The facility specializes in providing oil drilling tools and chemicals including shale inhibitors, lubricants and sealants, according to its website.