GARLAND, Texas (AP) - A fire has erupted at a chemical plant in a suburban Dallas industrial district, sending flames roiling about 50 feet into the air and a black column of smoke drifting high into the sky.
The fire erupted about 3:30 p.m. Friday at an Ashland Chemical plant in Garland.
There was no immediate word of injuries, but a quarter-mile radius around the plant has been evacuated. Meanwhile, the smoke column was drifting toward north Dallas borne by light winds.
Fire Capt. Merrill Balanciere says he doesn't know yet what caused the fire. He adds that firefighters were delayed in approaching the fire because of the close proximity of chemical storage tanks.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
