Several fiery explosions occurred overnight at a Sherwin-Williams paint facility in Garland, Texas overnight.
The facility, located east of Dallas, caught fire not long after 1am on Monday, according to Fox 4.
A number of businesses, as well as Garland police, felt the blast from miles away. Firefighters say it’s still unclear what caused the explosions.
Dave Casper works at Aston Global, the facility next to Sherwin-Williams. He told the local TV station that he felt ceiling particles falling around him.
“All we saw was this big explosion, this big fireball. I mean, the whole plant at Sherwin-Williams was engulfed in flames,” he said.
“I went right into reactive mode. Whenever you hear a blast or a disaster like that, your adrenaline kicks in and you just take what you believe is the right thing to do every time,” he added. “We’re probably 150 feet away from where the blast took place so we’re not that far. The building is only about 50 feet on the other side of the fence from our location. So, there’s not much room between us.”
Firefighters told Fox that one employee at Sherwin-Williams was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
At 6am, the fire was contained but still burning hot. Firefighters are set to remain at the scene for most of the day for monitoring as the blaze subsides.
Officials in the area are asking residents to be aware of road closures and stay inside as much as possible to avoid being affected by the burning chemicals.
Jim Norris, an area resident, told Fox that he and his wife will be wearing masks to stay safe.
“Her being on dialysis being diabetic, chemical fumes are definitely not something you want them to smell or anyone to smell,” he told the local station. “Very lucky. With chemical plants, you never know. They could do massive harm. These explosions were unreal.”
The local health department will look into if there are any effects on the air quality in the area.
