A shelter-in-place order was issued for residents and schools of Crosby, Texas. A massive explosion tore through a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, Tuesday, killing at least one person, injuring two others and promoting a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding community as firefighters worked for hours to extinguish a fire there, officials said. The explosion occurred at the sprawling KMCO plant just after 11 a.m., sending a large plume of smoke over the area, about 9 miles east of Houston. One person was killed in the blast, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Two people believed to be workers at the chemical plant were taken by emergency helicopter to local hospitals. Their conditions were not immediately released. The Harris County Fire Marshals Office initially said one person was unaccounted for. It was not clear if that was the person who died. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the individuals involved, as well as our first responders, employees, and our community," John Foley, the company's president, said in a statement. "The wellbeing of our people, neighbors and the environment remain our top priorities." The blast shook homes in the neighboring area and a woman a mile from the plant was knocked to the ground, according to ABC station KTRK. People 20 miles away reported feeling the explosion, the station reported. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez issued an order for schools and homes within a mile to shelter in place. Gonzalez tweeted that a preliminary investigation indicates a fire started in a transfer line to a tank containing a colorless, flammable gas called isobutylene. He said the blaze then spread to a storage building. There was no immediate word on what other chemicals were burning, but the plant primarily manufactures antifreeze products, according to KTRK. Workers at the plant said they were warned of a leak and were ordered to evacuate just moments before a series of explosions erupted followed by the massive blast. "Just run, that’s it," plant worker Randy Villalobos told KTRK. "It was scary. Very scary. Everybody that was around me was running." Villalobos said he and about 20 other workers immediately ran to an exit gate only to find it locked. "Everybody that was around me was running," Villalobos said. "We had to cross underneath a gate because the gate was locked at the time."<doc-sep>“I could see it over there by the baseball field and I said that little plant must have blown up,” said John Moreno who filmed the aftermath on his phone. He would later learn that a fatal spark ignited a tank full of chemicals at the KMCO plant. The smell of chemicals was hard to mistake. “You know it even had my whole mouth dry. It was like a welding smell. Like someone was welding metal,” said Moreno. Trucks with the EPA were seen around town collecting air samples that offered officials the peace of mind to lift shelter-in-place orders late Tuesday. “I was concerned, but I was pretty sure they weren’t going to let us out if it wasn’t safe,” said Parent.<doc-sep>Officials at KMCO chemical plant in Crosby have identified the worker who was killed in Tuesday's explosion and fire. James Earl "Bubba" Mangum was killed in the blast, which also critically injured two others. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said Wednesday it will be investigating the KMCO chemical plant fire. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: KMCO Crosby plant fire - Facility poses high potential for harm, long history of safety violations The CSB is an independent agency that does not fine companies or issue violations. Instead, it conducts what is known as "root cause" investigations, determining how an incident occurred and providing recommendations to the company, government regulators and other stakeholders on how to prevent it from happening again. The CSB decided to investigate the fire earlier this morning, officials said. CSB interim executive authority Kristen Kulinowski will be in the area Thursday, according to Hillary Cohen, the agency's communications manager. Morning Report - The top stories on HoustonChronicle.com. The incident at the KMCO chemical processing facility in Crosby was the third chemical plant fire in 17 days in the Houston area, prompting another massive emergency response and forcing nearby residents and schoolchildren to stay indoors. The initial explosion was triggered by a flammable gas called isobutylene, authorities said. The fire was extinguished Tuesday afternoon, but emergency crews are still trying to determined what caused the gas to ignite. WHAT WE KNOW: The company behind the KMCO Crosby plant fire The CSB is also investigating the previous blaze at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. facility in Deer Park, which caught fire March 17 and burned for three days. No serious injuries were reported in that incident. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.<doc-sep>
Investigators are trying to determine what caused Tuesday's fire at a KMCO chemical plant. (CNN) — For the second time in three weeks, a Houston-area chemical plant caught fire, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky. At least one person was killed Tuesday at the KMCO plant in Crosby, Texas, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. Two others were in critical condition and were taken by helicopter to a hospital, fire marshal’s office spokeswoman Rachel Moreno said. The fire was put out late in the afternoon, the fire marshal’s office said, though firefighters were still having to deal with hot spots. The incident likely started when a transfer line ignited in the area of a tank holding isobutylene, according to the sheriff. An adjacent storage building also caught fire. All residents within a 1-mile radius of the plant were ordered to shelter in place, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said, but that lockdown was lifted hours later. There does not appear to be hazardous chemicals in the air. “We have not seen any detections at action levels,” said Matt Loesel, on-scene coordinator with the US Environmental Moreno said there are dry, combustible chemicals in the storage building where flames reached. The Crosby Independent School District shut down heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at all of its campuses. “Teachers have sealed doors where possible as an additional safety precaution,” the district said. The Galena Park Independent School District canceled all outdoor activities and shut down air and ventilation systems for the rest of the day. The KMCO plant is about 25 miles northeast of Deer Park, where an Intercontinental Terminals Co. facility caught fire and burned for several days last month. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the individuals involved, as well as our first responders, employees, and our community,” KMCO president John C. Foley said. “We apologize for any inconvenience to residents in the vicinity. The well-being of our people, neighbors and the environment remain our top priorities.” CNN’s Pierre Meilhan and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.