A fire broke out at the OxyChem chemical plant in Ingleside, Texas yesterday afternoon. Officials state the incident occurred at around 1:30 p.m. Residents called 911 to alert them of the fire after seeing plumes of smoke coming from the OxyChem plant located in Ingleside.
Sara Williams, the San Patricio County Emergency Management Coordinator, stated that crews were starting up a piece of equipment when the incident occurred. A valve ruptured, releasing chlorine. An explosive sound followed, and the pressurized chlorine ignited.
A shelter-in-place was ordered for workers at the Occidental Chemical plant and a nearby Chemours Ingleside plant as on-site crews worked to contain and extinguish the flames. They eventually were able to put out the fire, and the shelter-in-place was lifted at about 4 p.m.
In a statement, an OxyChem spokesman said that the all-clear has been issued, and that there were no injuries. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality plans to conduct an investigation on the incident.
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