The Associated Press
3/9/2004, 10:29 a.m. ET
PASADENA, Texas (AP) — A huge fire in a chemical warehouse produced clouds of dense smoke Tuesday and firefighters warned residents of the area outside Houston to stay indoors.
There were no immediate reports of injuries and authorities said they did not know what caused the fire.
Balls of flame and black smoke were visible for miles from the Controlled Solutions warehouse, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
The warehouse contained an assortment of chemicals, including pesticides, and combustible materials such as wood and paper, officials said.
Firefighters were called from neighboring departments and oil refineries to help battle the blaze, which broke out shortly before daybreak.
A dense column of black smoke drifted toward the southeast, prompting firefighters to urge residents to stay indoors in parts of Pasadena, El Lago, Taylor Lake Village and Seabrook.