HOUSTON -- Numerous explosions erupted from a southwest Houston wax plant Friday evening, sparking a three-alarm fire and shooting flames into the sky that could be seen for miles, Local 2 reported.

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Team Coverage: Explosions Caught On Camera

Firefighters were sent to Marcus Oil and Chemical, 14549 Minetta, in southwest Houston, near Fondren and South Main, at 5:50 p.m.

The Houston Fire Department went door-to-door to evacuate residents in a four-block area east of the plant. Others were asked to shelter-in-place as a precaution.

Fire officials said the company specializes in melting chemicals to make wax. Polyethylene was believed to be the burning material.

The explosions were felt as far away as League City, Clear Lake, Baytown and Interstate 10 at the Katy Freeway.

"We were all talking -- my family and I -- and we just heard this big boom. We went outside. My girls were already outside and said they saw this big, orange explosion, above trees and houses in the way. We could smell it," said Delia Torres, who lives five miles from the plant.

Other residents said they thought the explosions were loud claps of thunder or sonic booms.

"It was so powerful," said Connie Lara, a neighbor. "Our 35-inch color TV fell face down onto the living room floor. It was wedged in an entertainment center. Now the wall in the living room is cracked all the way across."

"I thought it was an airplane that crashed into something -- one of these buildings down here. That's just how bad it was," said Audrey Green, who witnessed the explosion.

Explosions were still erupting from the fire 90 minutes after the blaze began. The fire went to three alarms at about 7:15 p.m. Approximately 120 firefighters battled the blaze for hours.

Five people were working in the warehouse at the time of the explosion and were not injured, officials said.

"We was working over there at the factory and we (heard) something explode. It was wax inside, so we don't know what exactly happened over there," said Miguel Trejo, who was working in the warehouse.

A Houston Fire Department captain and one Houston firefighter were injured. The captain received burns to his hand while the firefighter injured his back, according to officials.

Eight nearby residents also sought treatment at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital for minor injuries. Five of those injuries occurred at a church across the street from the plant, Local 2 reported. Some of the injuries were described as "emotional distress."

"Evidently when this thing went up, there was quite a pressure wave. It was either emotional trauma or a little bit of physical trauma. They were not life-threatening injuries," HFD assistant chief Tommy Dowdy said.

The church and nearby homes were damaged in the blasts, mainly from broken windows.

"It knocked (a picture) completely down off the wall that was hanging up. Knocked it completely off the wall and broke all the glass," said Greilan Oliver, whose home was damaged. "It knocked my (stereo system) down."

Roads were blocked in the area while firefighters battled the blaze.

The facility also had a fire on Dec. 20, 2003. A seal on a tank broke, leaking hot oil, which erupted into flames. A firefighter sprained his knee and ankle. No one else was injured in that blaze.

The cause of the explosions and the fire is not yet known.