An explosion at a natural gas or oil well site in eastern Texas sparked a large fire and led to evacuations, but no injuries were reported, authorities said Tuesday.
The Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office received multiple calls late Monday about a loud explosion in Etoile, a rural community about 140 miles northeast of Houston. The sheriff's office confirmed the explosion occurred at an oil well site, while the city of Nacogdoches described it as a natural gas well based on information from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Several residents evacuated as a precaution, and others were advised to shelter in place. The fire was still burning early Tuesday but was not spreading and was being monitored, said city spokesperson Kevin Meyer. He added that there was no immediate danger to local residents and air quality was being monitored.
A well control emergency response company was working to suppress the fire. Drilling company H&P stated that the cause of the well blowout was not yet known, and monitoring was ongoing.
