Photos: Fire at NE Chemical Plant Forces Evacuations

Omaha residents were evacuated Monday night as when a massive fire engulfed a chemical company building near downtown.

The three-alarm fire at the Nox Crete business just outside of downtown burned for hours, spewing thick smoke and causing parts of the building to collapse. The facility manufactures form coatings, water repellents, liquid floor hardeners and joint fillers.

Initially a shelter-in-place order was given to local residents and then an evacuation was recommended, according to KETV.com. By Tuesday morning, residents were allowed to return home.

Firefighters had trouble accessing the fire when they arrived, Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick told the television station. 

Once they were able to access the severity of the fire and encountered explosions, crews pulled back to a defensive mode.

At the height of the fire, 50 firefighters were at the scene.

Fitzpatrick told the Omaha World-Herald that only two crews remained at the scene at 6 a.m. dousing hot spots.