Firefighters from 18 departments in four counties have put out the massive chemical plant fire at Sound Resource Solutions in Shepherd, Texas, the San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management said.
The fire on FM 1127, approximately 75 miles northeast of Houston, started with an explosion that happened at 8:17 a.m. and it burned for hours. There was a shelter-in-place for residents in a one-mile radius that was lifted nearly 7 hours after the explosion.
Single northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. 59 reopened by 6:30 p.m., TxDOT said, but expect delays until all lanes reopen.
Sound Resource Solutions president Geoff Harfield said the explosion was caused by a "forklift incident." An individual working on a forklift noticed chemicals leaking from a container and when he went to lift the container up, he noticed a fire.