Who owns Sound Resource Solutions? Rural Texas chemical plant fire extinguished
HOUSTON, TEXAS: A huge fire that broke out at a chemical distribution plant Sound Resource Solutions, owned by Geoff Harfield, in rural Texas has been put out by 4 p.m. CDT (2200 GMT), the San Jacinto County emergency services department said on Wednesday.
The company website states that it blends, packages, and distributes oilfield chemicals and various other industrial chemicals such as sulfuric acid, acetone, and petrochemicals, including xylene and toluene.
Reportedly, there were 19 of the 37 employees working at the facility when the fire started at around 8 a.m., and fortunately, all of them who were present at the time of the mishap have been accounted for.
How did the chemical plant go up in flames?
According to Emmitt Eldridge, the emergency management coordinator of San Jacinto County, a fire broke out at a plant when a worker operating a forklift noticed chemicals leaking from a container.
Eldridge told Reuters that it was when the worker used the forklift to lift said container when he saw the fire. It is unclear whether the fire had started before the container was lifted.
The forklift operator sustained minor burns and was taken to a nearby hospital in Houston for treatment where he was reported to be in stable condition.
According to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, officials received several calls shortly after 8 a.m. reporting an explosion at the company's facility.
The initial reports suggest that the chemicals involved in the fire were flammable liquids, possibly including diesel and turpentine.
The factory produces solvents that are used to make glue and paint remover, as stated by the Polk County Office of Emergency Management.
The agency also warned that chemicals from the plant can be toxic and cause eye and skin irritation.
How widespread was the fallout from the chemical plant fire?
Following the fire at the plant, a large plume of smoke could be seen in videos captured by residents.
Authorities had requested residents within a one-mile radius of a chemical plant fire in Shepherd, as well as those in surrounding communities, to remain indoors for about five hours on Wednesday.
Residents were instructed by local authorities to shelter in place and turn off their HVAC air conditioning systems due to the fire.
The order was lifted early Wednesday afternoon. Shepherd, a mainly rural area located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Houston, was affected by the fire.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office warned in a Facebook post that the plume might have spread towards the Livingston area.
Emergency Management coordinator, Emmitt Eldridge, confirmed that the fire was contained by Wednesday afternoon.
Fire crews used two ladder trucks and foam to put out the fire. The large plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles disappeared after the fire was brought under control.
Eldridge also mentioned that local fire crews would remain at the site on Wednesday evening to monitor any possible flare-ups.
“We’ve had monitors out all day. As of right now, there hasn’t been anything detected in the air,” Eldridge shared.
After the explosion, a private school housing 31 children was evacuated safely through a pasture. The students have been reunited with their parents, according to Sheriff Capers.
US Highway 59 was still closed in both directions between Shepherd and Livingston as of Wednesday afternoon. Officials mentioned that the road was expected to reopen sometime in the evening on Wednesday.
What did the owner Geoff Harfield say?
Geoff Harfield, the owner and President of Sound Resource Solutions, expressed his gratitude that all of his employees were safe after an unfortunate incident.
He further emphasized that the well-being of his staff was his topmost priority.
“I’m not worried about the business. All my people went home. That’s what I care about,” Harfield said to AP.
He mentioned that the injured employee was doing well and was expected to be reunited with his family by Wednesday evening.
Harfield also mentioned that although his company operates in a hazardous environment, his team is highly trained to handle the dangerous chemicals they work with, which are similar to the ones he described as “the type of material you probably have under your kitchen sink.”
Sound Resource Solutions has been operating since 2014.
“We got a lot of work to do to figure out the incident itself,” Harfield explained. “And I know people want answers. We’re going to get you answers, not speculation.”
According to Ryan Vise, a spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the organization will continue to monitor the air until Wednesday evening. They will then begin working with the chemical plant owner to clean up the site.
Harfield has stated his willingness to cooperate with local and state environmental regulators saying, ”We’ll make sure that any remediation work that needs to be done is going to be done in the right way so that there’s no affect on the community that we’ve known for 14 years.”