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DALLAS -- A flooded chemical plant in a small town outside of Houston was poised to explode, a spokeswoman for the French company said late Wednesday, though the timing and the extent of the danger weren’t immediately clear.

The Arkema Inc. plant in Crosby, Texas, about 25 miles (40.23 kilometers) northeast of Houston, lost power and its backup generators amid Harvey’s days-long deluge, leaving it without refrigeration for chemicals that become volatile as the temperature rises.

“The fire will happen. It will resemble a gasoline fire. It will be explosive and intense in nature,” spokeswoman Janet Smith told The Associated Press.

There was “no way to prevent” the explosion , chief executive Rich Rowe said earlier Wednesday.

Arkema manufactures organic peroxides, a family of compounds used for making everything from pharmaceuticals to construction materials.

“As the temperature rises, the natural state of these materials will decompose. A white smoke will result, and that will catch fire,” Smith said. “So the fire is imminent. The question is when.”

The company shut down the Crosby site before Harvey made landfall last week, but a crew of 11 had stayed behind.

That group was removed and residents within 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) were told to evacuate Tuesday after the plant lost power.