WATCH: Trucker “just started running” at first sign of explosion at Texas chemical plant

An explosion at Texas chemical plant left a trucker and multiple employees scared and running for their lives, the driver says. 

Truck driver Francisco Arreola was picking up a load at the Sound Resource Solution facility in Shepherd, Texas on November 8th when he heard an explosion, and saw people running. 

“I just saw the tanker move forward, and then I just saw a fireball and smoke. The guy from the back of the tanker yelled, ‘Run!'” Arreola said to ABC 13. “You could feel the heat from the explosions, you know, while you’re running, you get the heat from the fireballs.”

“I was scared. I just started running, left my truck running, (and) left the doors open. I just started running.”

After first responders got the fire under control, Arreola was able to see his truck, which made it through the fire, but the rig was not released to him due to the ongoing investigation into the incident. 

Authorities say that an employee operating a forklift was the first one to notice the chemicals leaking from a container. He then lifted the container, which may have sparked the fire. 

One employee suffered minor burns to his body as a result of the incident, but no other injuries have been reported. 

“Material stuff can get replaced, lives we can’t,” Arreola said.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says that no chemicals have been found in the air outside of the scene of the fire. Cleanup of the incident is expected to take multiple days.