WILD PARK – Don’t panic! Houstonians may think there is a big fire in Deer Park, but don’t worry, according to Shell Chemical Company, it is just a flaring fire.

The chemical company has launched an active education and emergency response campaign to inform the community of Deer Park about ongoing flaring at its facility.

The flaring began at 3:20 p.m. Monday and is due to a third-party steam reliability issue and is expected to continue for several days.

In his first report, Shell’s environmental officer assured the public that the company was actively working to minimize all potential disturbances caused by flaring, including noise, light and smoke.

The company stressed that there was no danger to the public or neighboring industries and regretted any inconvenience caused by the activities. The flares may smoke at times due to the steam problem, officials said.

According to officials, flaring is a safety measure used in industrial plants to burn off excess gases that cannot be processed or stored. Although the sight of flaring can be unsettling, the company explained that it is a controlled activity that helps prevent more serious incidents.

Shell Chemical Company said it is closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates as needed.