Conroe officials: Warehouse fire accidental

Exact cause of blaze at chemical supplier remains unknown

Investigators have been unable to determine the cause of a fiery blast at a Conroe chemical supplier but have concluded that it was an accident.

The trigger could have been oily rags stored at DrillChem Drilling Solutions’ warehouse, or a problem with electrical wiring or gas-powered equipment, Conroe Fire Marshal Mike Legoudes said at a news conference Wednesday.

“We’re working to rule out possibilities,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get to the cause.”

The fire began about 4:40 p.m. Friday inside a locked warehouse on the mostly undeveloped southeast side of town. A storage tank holding an unidentified chemical near the building also ruptured during the blaze, causing a second explosion that added to the thick, black smoke in the air.

Firefighters worked for two hours to gain control of the fire, which caused an estimated $3 million in damage. With employees already gone for the day, there were no injuries.

A firefighter was treated for dehydration but has since returned to work, Legoudes said.

Brandon Hayes, DrillChem’s CEO, said the company has cooperated with the investigation, providing lists of the chemicals at the warehouse and maps of their locations. A firewall protected the company’s office — and the records inside — from the blaze.

“No one is more curious than us to find out what happened,” he said.

The warehouse had passed inspections before the blast, fire officials said, and there were no records that the company had been investigated previously for problems with workplace safety.

DrilllChem had been operating at the South Loop 336 East location for more than two years. The company packages and stores chemicals used as lubricants and sealants in drilling operations. DrillChem sells its proprietary blends to major exploration and production companies, including Statoil and Concho Resources, which extract oil and gas across the United States.

Hayes said the liquids and dry powders are not capable of igniting on their own, but declined to make the chemical list publicly available.

Hayes noted that state and federal regulators found no evidence of any contamination leaving the property.

The 12 employees who worked at the plant were relocated to another DrillChem facility in the Houston area.

Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle On Friday, firefighters work to contain the fire at DrillChem’s warehouses in the 4100 block of South Loop 336. Investigators think electrical wiring or gas-power equipment may be to blame.

Jerry Baker Conroe Fire Marshal Mike Legoudes, left, with DrillChem CEO Brandon Hayes, says investigators are still working to pinpoint the cause.