Texas chemical plant catches fire, spews massive amount of smoke in sky

DEER PARK, Texas — A chemical plant in the Houston area caught fire Friday, sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the fire was at a Shell USA Inc. facility in Deer Park, a suburb east of Houston.

Officers received a service call just after 3 p.m. Friday to help divert traffic around the plant, Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Gilliland said. The city of Deer Park said in an advisory that there was no shelter-in-place order for residents. ---More...