fricnjay
05-05-2016, 08:14 PM
A massive fire at a warehouse complex in Houston spewed black smoke and hazardous materials Thursday, forcing neighbors to shelter in place as nearly 200 firefighters worked to beat back the blaze.
The four-alarm fire ignited just before 10 a.m. in the back yard of a nearby home, then jumped to an industrial area at 1700 Laverne Street, NBC affiliate KPRC reports. Fire officials told KPRC the home served as an auto service company.
Authorities declared a "hazardous material incident" as flames ripped through the industrial complex, which houses several businesses, including a gun store, fire officials said. Aerial footage showed explosions erupting as plumes of smoke poured from the roof.
The complex is also home to Custom Packaging and Filling, which fills and labels containers of "powders, granules, liquids, and gels," according to KPRC and the company's website.
Fire officials said they were working with the property owners to "identify the products of combustion" but that petroleum and pesticides may have been involved.
Residents of the Spring Branch neighborhood were ordered to shelter in place while the fire raged. Fire officials urged them to close windows, doors and vents; turn off air conditioning and heating systems; retreat to interior rooms and seal doorways with plastic or duct tape. An elementary school was evacuated, along with nearby businesses, KPRC reports.
Residents were allowed to leave their homes again around 2 p.m. Thursday but were asked to avoid the industrial complex, where 175 firefighters from 64 units doused the flames.
No injuries were reported. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze, which erupted on a gusty day with temperatures in the 70s.
10153783266662690/
The four-alarm fire ignited just before 10 a.m. in the back yard of a nearby home, then jumped to an industrial area at 1700 Laverne Street, NBC affiliate KPRC reports. Fire officials told KPRC the home served as an auto service company.
Authorities declared a "hazardous material incident" as flames ripped through the industrial complex, which houses several businesses, including a gun store, fire officials said. Aerial footage showed explosions erupting as plumes of smoke poured from the roof.
The complex is also home to Custom Packaging and Filling, which fills and labels containers of "powders, granules, liquids, and gels," according to KPRC and the company's website.
Fire officials said they were working with the property owners to "identify the products of combustion" but that petroleum and pesticides may have been involved.
Residents of the Spring Branch neighborhood were ordered to shelter in place while the fire raged. Fire officials urged them to close windows, doors and vents; turn off air conditioning and heating systems; retreat to interior rooms and seal doorways with plastic or duct tape. An elementary school was evacuated, along with nearby businesses, KPRC reports.
Residents were allowed to leave their homes again around 2 p.m. Thursday but were asked to avoid the industrial complex, where 175 firefighters from 64 units doused the flames.
No injuries were reported. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze, which erupted on a gusty day with temperatures in the 70s.
10153783266662690/