Texas Chemical Plant Fire Forces Evacuations, Causes Leaks

A Texas chemical fire forced the evacuation of an eight-block radius around at a Magnablend Inc. chemical plant in Waxahachie, Texas.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire, which began around 10:30 a.m., Donald Golden, environmental health and safety manager, told CNN. Everybody is out and safe, he said.

Officials ordered the evacuation of an elementary school, an apartment building, and other industrial sites within eight blocks of the fire, and a shelter-in-place advisory is in effect for some smaller nearby towns northwest of the city, including Red Oak, according to Diana Buckley, an official with the Ellis County government.

CNN affliliates KTVT and WFAA reported orange flames devouring the building and licking at tanker cars parked at the edge of the plant, which is about 30 miles south of Dallas.

One of the fire departments on the scene, the Midlothian Fire Department, reported that chemicals had been released in the fire, but no additional details were given.

Magnablend produces custom chemicals for a variety of industries, including oil, agriculture, pet and animal feed, water treatment, and construction and industrial cleaning companies.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality dispatched inspectors to measure air quality in the area, the agency said

Meanwhile, natural wildfires continue to rage through the rest of Texas. 2,500 acres of drought-parched fuels sparked in West Texas town of Snyder, and a 5,000-acre fire began moving into Big Bend National Park on Friday.