Authorities investigating large fire after explosion at East Texas oil well near Nacogdoches Tuesday morning

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — An explosion at a Texas natural gas or oil well site set off a large fire that was seen for miles and led to some evacuations, but caused no injuries, authorities said Tuesday.

The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office received numerous calls late Monday about a loud explosion in Etoile, a small, rural community in East Texas about 140 miles northeast of Houston.

The sheriff’s office said the explosion happened at an oil well site. The city of Nacogdoches, about 20 miles away, described it as a natural gas well, based on information from the Texas Department of Public Safety, city spokesperson Kevin Meyer said on Tuesday.

Residents were advised to evacuate as a precaution, and others were asked to shelter in place. It wasn’t immediately known how many residents were affected.

The fire was still burning early Tuesday, but it was not spreading and was being monitored, Meyer said.

“There is currently no danger to local residents from the fire, and air quality in the area is being monitored as well,” Meyer said in a news release.

A well-controlled emergency response company from Houston was on its way to further suppress the fire, Meyer said.