One person injured after multiple explosions spark massive fire at Sherwin-Williams paint factory in Texas
- A Sherwin-Williams paint factory exploded early Monday morning, sending fireballs into the night sky in Garland, Texas
- Emergency services managed to extinguish the fire after an hour and a half
- One employee was injured and treated at the scene
Terrifying video captured the moment a Sherwin-Williams paint factory exploded, sending fireballs into the night sky.
Explosions were heard up to five miles north of the plant in Garland, Texas, NBC DFW reports, before firefighters and hazmat crews rushed to the scene early Monday morning.
Officials say the explosions began at 1:21 a.m. and sparked a massive blaze at the plant. Firefighters extinguished the fire after an hour and a half.
All employees were evacuated and accounted for, but one employee was injured and treated at the scene.
No air quality alerts have been released, but residents are encouraged to call the Garland Fire Department if they smell anything.
The cause of the explosions remains unclear.
A Sherwin-Williams paint factory in Garland, Texas caught fire in the early morning hours Monday
Explosions at the paint factory caused fireballs to spread across the night sky
After the fire was extinguished early Monday morning, smoke billowed through the air
Garrison Fire Department and hazmat crews rushed to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire after an hour and a half
A neighbor, Jim Norris, described what he heard when the factory exploded.
“One loud bang, followed by several loud bangs — I lost count of 15,” he told NBC DFW. “And great clouds of smoke and fireballs.”
“All you see is the sky, it just keeps lighting up — it’s exploding,” said another local. “It’s clear, fiery red, orange, and black smoke. It was scary.’
“You could just smell it,” she added. “It was just a foul smell. Do you know what paint smells like when you paint your house? That’s how it smelled. It was filthy.’
Someone in a building behind the factory also reported how it started shaking and debris started falling from the ceiling.
“It was really intense this morning,” the man told CBS Texas, noting that he is a war veteran. “I’ve never felt an explosion like that in my life… That was serious.”
Major roads around the paint plant remained closed as of 9:35 a.m. EST.
Health Ministry officials will now arrive on the scene to assess the threat to the public.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.