HOUSTON – The Houston Fire Department is responding to a large fire at a recycling facility in the East End area of the city.
The fire was reported near the intersection of Manchester and Kellogg Street around 2:49 p.m.
HFD a large pile of trash and debris on the property is what is burning. The smoke is visible from Houston Transtar cameras on nearby highways. HFD says tires are apart of the piles of trash that are burning.
HFD says no injuries have been reported. The department says approximately 100 firefighters are working the fire. They are also working with agencies to assess the air quality to see if there are any concerns. Right now, they say they have seen no reason for any concerns regarding the air quality.
A separate call was made to dispatch an engine to ensure the fire does not spread beyond the tree line, where a neighborhood sits on the other side.
HFD Chief Thomas Munoz says the fire will probably burn overnight based on his experience with previous fires like this one.
A source tells KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry the facility has been cited twice within the last month for illegal burning. Arson investigators are on scene to determine the cause of the fire, but that does not mean the fire was intentionally set.
Neighbors describe moments fire broke out
KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel spoke with neighbors who described the terrifying moment the fire broke out.
Nine-year-old Gacob Sosa was inside his home watching Argentina play in the FIFA World Cup when the emergency began.
“I was watching soccer. I was watching Argentina playing in the World Cup and then the ambulance came and they said to evacuate,” Sosa said.
As flames engulfed the recycling facility next door, Sosa and his family ran out of their home.
“It was super red,” he said. “I was scared for my life.”
When asked why he could not go back inside, Sosa explained what he observed.
“Every time it’s expanding more and more,” he said.
Neighbor Erika Castellano rushed home from work after receiving a call about the fire.
“It’s pretty scary when you get a phone call that there’s a fire and see a picture of how close it was to our house,” she said.
Castellano said she could see the smoke from miles away.
“I saw the blooms all the way from 290 and the beltway,” she said.
She also told KPRC 2 News that the facility had raised concerns for her in the past.
“It sounded suspicious. We’ve heard loud booms before in the past and I’ve always kind of wondered what those were,” Castellano said.
Out of an abundance of caution, Castellano decided to keep her children away from the area overnight.
“My kids are not going to come home tonight. I’m going to keep them at my sister’s,” she said.
HFD told Corley that a fire truck will be staying in the area as crews battle the flames overnight. All residents living near the fire line on Coral Street were allowed to go back into their homes Monday night.