Texas chemical plant area declared safe after controlled blaze

Houston : A fire at a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas has been put out and authorities have lifted an evacuation order after declaring it safe, the company said in a statement Monday.

The remaining chemical containers at the Arkema plant were deliberately ignited on Sunday and burned themselves out, it said.

"The Crosby Fire Department and unified command has determined it is safe for residents to return to their homes," Arkema said.

"The 1.5 mile evacuation zone around the Arkema Inc. facility has been lifted and is no longer in effect."

Explosions and fire ripped through containers holding highly flammable organic peroxides early Thursday, after heavy flooding knocked out power to critical refrigeration units.

The area around the plant had already been evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey.