Shepherd is a mainly rural area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Houston. HOUSTON (AP) - A massive fire at a chemical plant in rural Texas on Wednesday sent a plume of black smoke into the sky as officials closed down a local highway and ordered residents to take shelter for several hours.Īuthorities had asked residents within a one-mile radius of a chemical plant fire in Shepherd as well as those in surrounding communities to shelter in place for about five hours on Wednesday and lifted the order early Wednesday afternoon.
