HOUSTON (KIAH) — A mangles mass of melted metal is what CW39 reporter saw Thursday morning after an explosive fire at a chemical plant happened in Shepherd, Texas Wednesday morning. Multiple explosions sent a persistent massive plume of black smoke into the sky and one injured person with burns, to the hospital. That chemical plant fire started around 8:17 a.m. Wednesday morning but was contained by Wednesday evening.

Residents in the surrounding area in Shepherd, about an hour northeast of Houston and the surrounding areas, were told to take shelter for about five hours. The fire also forced officials to close Highway 59, that connects the community to Livingston.

Officials say the explosion took place at “Sound Resource Solutions” and one employee suffered minor burns and was later released from the hospital. According to the plant’s president, one person was injured, treated then released from the hospital.

Officials continue monitoring the air quality in the area. So far they have not detected anything abnormal in the air.

Latest updates from San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office are below…