Large industrial fire near Hockley causes evacuations

HOCKLEY, Texas – A large fire broke out at an industrial facility on Saturday and firefighters from several agencies were on the scene as people were warned to avoid the area.

This happened around 9:30 a.m. in the 17300 block of Premium Drive near Hockley at a recycling and waste management facility just south of the Hockley Recreation Complex, off Old Washington Road.

Evacuations were ordered within a half-mile radius of the blaze.

Firefighters from several departments were dispatched to a large building where thick smoke rose into the sky and could be seen from a distance of 15 miles.

The blaze began when steel drums fell inside the facility that handles recycled plastics and other petrochemical materials, according to Harris County Fire Marshal Rachel Neutzler spokeswoman.

The blaze spread to other parts of the building and turned into a massive incident due in part to a lack of water for firefighters. Dozens of tankers were dispatched to unload water for suppression efforts that were to go on for hours on Saturday.

Neutzler said there were no specific details of the chemicals involved, but said the substances, which are believed to be used motor oil and plastics, were part of the facility’s mission. convert materials for recycling or incineration.

“It’s a number of different chemicals, but nothing is stored in large quantities,” she said.

While the immediate threat did not appear to be serious, the evacuation order would remain in effect until crews could contain the incident and continued air quality monitoring showed that the quality of the air. the air was sure.

No injuries were reported at the site, Neutzler said.

The fire is at VLS Recovery Services, a waste management company with two facilities in the area, including a railcar cleaning facility and a solid waste treatment facility.

As firefighters scrambled to contain the flames, railroad crews were also dispatched to move tank cars out of the adjacent yard.

Waller’s Police have closed several roads, including Old Washington Road and US 290 Business between Kickapoo Road and Kermier Road.