The Office of Emergency Management said crews were doing work on the property owned by the Kinder Morgan plant. Officials say there are no injuries, but the fire could be seen at distances of 30 miles or more.
[Ads /]
Dispatchers told ABC13 that every member of the county sheriff's office was at the scene of the blast.
EYEWITNESS VIDEO: Rufugio explosion lights up the sky
Eyewitness video of massive South Texas explosion
Resident Jake Ramirez posted video to Facebook showing the massive blaze illuminating the clouds above.
"It looks wild, it's pulsating," Ramirez says in his video. "Not really sure what that is...it looks beautiful, but it looks like a [expletive] fire."
[Ads /]
Images sent in by a cousin of ABC13 producer John Carreon show the fire at a distance of about 30 miles away, showing the intensity and size of the explosion.
We're following this story on Eyewitness News. Watch for updates on air, online and on our mobile news app.
Keep checking back on this page to get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To get alerts for breaking news, download the ABC13 news app for iPhone or Android. You can also get breaking news alerts sent to you by email.