Explosion, fire reported at Smith Co. oil production facility

SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Several emergency crews have contained a large fire at an oil facility in northern Smith County.

Around 9:55 p.m. Monday, firefighters from Red Springs, Lindale, and Winona Fire Departments were called to a Vess Oil Corp. skimming station on a private drive off County Road 313 East, near Tyler State Park.

A couple of small building on the property caught fire and spread to nearby oil storage tanks, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. The fire caused the tanks to leak “thousand of gallons” of a mixture of oil and saltwater, which topped the surrounding containment dikes.

Fire crews contained the blaze early Tuesday and stopped the leaks.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze or the extent of the damage is not know at this point.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will return to the scene after daybreak Tuesday to assess the situation and begin cleanup of the leaked materials.

We have a news crew at the scene and will have the latest on Good Morning East Texas, starting at 4:30 a.m.

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