Officials in rural Texas have revealed details about a fiery explosion that occurred at a chemical plant, resulting in the lifting of a shelter-in-place order in the surrounding community. The incident took place at Sound Resource Solutions, an industrial blending facility in Shepherd, located in San Jacinto County, approximately 60 miles northeast of Houston.

Geoff Harfield, the president of Sound Resource Solutions, stated that a "forklift incident" triggered the explosion, although he did not provide further information. An initial investigation by San Jacinto County officials indicated that the ignition occurred when an employee noticed a chemical container leaking and attempted to lift it using a forklift.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers informed reporters that diesel was burning along with the potential ignition of turpentine and other chemicals. The exact composition of the burning chemicals has yet to be confirmed as the investigation is still ongoing.

Following the blast, which happened at approximately 8:17 a.m. local time, a five-mile shelter-in-place order was initially implemented but was later reduced to a one-mile radius as officials assessed the scene. The order was ultimately lifted on Wednesday afternoon.

According to FOX26 Houston, citing a source, one individual sustained first-degree burns to the face and second-degree and third-degree burns to the arms. The injured person is currently receiving treatment at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Fortunately, all 19 employees present at the time of the incident have been accounted for, with the injured worker in stable condition and expected to go home to their family later in the day.

As first responders worked to control the fire, nearby roads were closed, and a private school in the vicinity was evacuated. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed that mobile air units will continue to monitor the air quality throughout the night. As of now, no concerning levels have been detected, and their command post will remain on-site until further notice.

Geoff Harfield expressed his commitment to ensuring that any necessary remediation work is done properly to avoid any adverse effects on the community. The investigation into the blast is ongoing, with authorities determining the exact cause and assessing the potential environmental impact of the incident.