The Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office received numerous calls late Monday of a loud explosion in Etoile in eastern Texas, a small, rural community about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of Houston.

The sheriff's office said the explosion happened at an oil well site. The city of Nacogdoches, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, described it as a natural gas well, based on information it received from the Texas Department of Public Safety, city spokesperson Kevin Meyer said Tuesday.

Several residents evacuated as a precaution and others were asked to shelter in place.

The fire was still burning early Tuesday, but it was not spreading and was being monitored, Meyer said.