Guadalupe County area fire departments battled a large fire early Wednesday at a steel plant near Seguin.
The fire was reported around 5:30 a.m. at the CMC Steel Texas facility located at 1 Steel Mill Drive near Interstate 10 and FM 1620 east of San Antonio.
CMC Steel officials said the fire started on one of its material feedstock piles. City of Seguin spokesperson Morgan Ash said the first fire department to respond was the Lake McQueen Volunteer Fire Department.
The fire got out of control and numerous other agencies responded. The fire grew but remained within the pile and did not spread to any buildings, Ash said.
A large plume of smoke could be seen for miles, but Seguin city officials said no evacuations were ordered in the area. There have been no reports of any injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Commercial Metals Company issued the following statement late Wednesday morning:
"This morning, July 29, at approximately 5:30 am, CMC Steel TX identified and initiated action to control a fire on one of its material feedstock piles. Local fire departments were contacted immediately and are assisting in extinguishing the fire. The company has also contacted the appropriate authorities and ongoing efforts continue to assure that there is no threat to human health or the environment.
"The fire is isolated from people and other equipment, and there are no reported injuries at this time. No other buildings at the facility or the surrounding area are threatened. The cause of today's fire has not yet been determined but a thorough investigation will be conducted once the fire is completely extinguished."
Wednesday fire latest incident at plant
Firefighters tackled a large blaze at the same plant when a pile of metal caught fire on July 10, 2014.
According to the Guadalupe County Fire Marshal, it appears last year's fire was fueled by gas left in the tank of a car at the plant.
That fire spanned an acre and reached a height of 30 feet.
Tragedy struck the plant weeks later on Aug. 3, 2014, when a ladle containing 100 tons of molten steel fell to the ground, sparking a flash fire.
Two workers were seriously burned. One of the men later died.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued CMC Steel Texas two serious violations following the accident.
One violation was for failing to provide "a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm."
The second violation was for failing to provide safety measures such as protective railings.
CMC Steel Texas paid $18,000 in fines due to the OSHA safety violations.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has also issued the plant past violations.
In 2011, the TCEQ said the plant discharged industrial waste into or near water. CMC Steel Texas was initially ordered to pay a $6,200 penalty.
In 2014, an inspector issued the plant a violation for not having high enough walls surrounding some metal piles.
The TCEQ says CMC Steel Texas also failed to provide proper financial records in the past and "failed to prevent nuisance conditions." The state agency said nuisance violations often come from complaints surrounding things like smell or smoke reported by neighbors.
Two firefighters were treated at the scene on Wednesday for non-life threatening injuries related to heat.
IMAGES: Seguin steel plant fire