Houston officials issued a precautionary shelter-in-place order Saturday morning after a chemical fire broke out at 6200 Royalton Dr., near the Bellaire area. The order covers a 1.5-mile radius, according to a tweet from the city’s office of emergency management.
Joan Diaz of KHO 11 reported that the warrant, issued around 10:30 a.m., was put in place because emergency responders are not aware of what type of chemicals are involved. The Houston Fire Department first tweeted that firefighters were responding to a building fire at 6218 Royalton St. about an hour before. At the time, the department said no firefighters or civilians were injured. According to Díaz, the situation escalated despite attempts to extinguish it.
@HoustonFire is currently on scene at 6218 Royalton St. performing firefighting efforts after receiving a building fire call. At the moment, there are no injuries to firefighters or civilians. Please avoid the area due to heavy emergency traffic. @FireChiefofHFD
— Houston Fire Department (@HoustonFire) May 20, 2023
According to Díaz and Houston Emergency Operations Center. Air conditioners, heaters and fans should also be turned off to avoid exposure to harmful chemical emissions. It’s also important to refrain from drinking tap water and have access to emergency communications to receive updates on the situation, Diaz wrote. Although less effective than houses or other buildings, vehicles can also provide some protection for a short time if the windows remain closed and the ventilation systems are turned off.
