Nacogdoches County Judge Greg Sowell said they’re still not sure what caused the fire. But they called in specialists from Houston to deal with it.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas — A Houston company has been called in to handle a gas well fire in East Texas that broke out overnight.

Around 11 p.m. Monday, Nacogdoches County Judge Greg Sowell said residents reported hearing a large explosion, with some thinking it was a structure fire and others unsure what it was, near the Etoile area. It turned out to be a gas well blowout on FM 226, about a half-mile from an old school and near County Road 561. Even though crews contained the scene quickly, nearby areas felt the impact.

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Three homes on County Road 561 were evacuated. Folks in the Morgan’s Cove subdivision were told to shelter in place at first, but that order has since been lifted. No injuries have been reported among workers or residents.

Sowell called it a “pretty good-sized” gas well fire, and he’s not sure how it started. Local fire departments aren’t equipped to handle fires this big, so the well owner brought in specialists, Wild Well Control from Houston.

“They do this all the time. They’re experts in their field. They do it all over the world,” Sowell said.

The team rolled in during the early morning hours and assessed the situation. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, they reported the well was stable but still burning. They expect it to burn for several more days before they’re ready to put it out.

They’re not worried about containment right now, and Sowell said the fire is limited to the natural gas itself. Some nearby fuel and equipment burned early on, but that’s cleared up now. Around 3 a.m., the well derrick collapsed. Sowell said it’s actually a good thing because it means crews don’t have to worry about it toppling while they work on fighting the fire.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Railroad Commission are at the site. A bunch of agencies jumped in right away, including: Texas Forest Service, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, numerous volunteer fire departments, and the City of Nacogdoches Fire Department.

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