WALLER COUNTY, Texas — Firefighters responded to an explosion at a propane production facility in Waller County on Wednesday afternoon, according to the sheriff's office.
It happened around 12:30 p.m. at the RapidXchange Production Facility on FM 529 in Brookshire, about 10 miles north of I-10, according to the sheriff's office. As of 3:30 p.m., the Waller County Fire Marshal's Office said the fire was under control and the grass fire surrounding the facility was completely contained.
Smoke from the fire could be seen on Houston TranStar cameras from the Katy Freeway. Workers at businesses around the area said they saw thick black smoke and fire shooting from the building. Workers were present at the facility when the incident began and said they weren't exactly sure what happened, but when the initial explosion took place, all employees were told to evacuate.
Air 11 video showed widespread destruction, including hundreds of burning propane tanks as well as fires burning in grass fields surrounding the facility. According to officials, the grass fires spread to about 30 acres and wind and dry conditions made things more difficult.
Officials said the incident began during a propane transfer from bottle to bottle. They said that when they got to the scene, propane bottles were exploding one after the other.
Initially, no injuries were reported but officials later said one person was injured but is expected to be OK. They also said 14 other employees were evacuated from the building where the explosion happened.
Authorities said the air quality was good and there were no evacuation orders issued. It's unclear how much land was burned in the surrounding area.
