A explosion and fire on Wednesday hit the massive Freeport LNG liquefied natural gas plant on the Texas Gulf Coast, prompting an evacuation of nearby beaches and sending U.S. natural gas futures sharply lower. There were no injuries and the fire that broke out about 11:40 a.m. local time was contained by noon, the company said. An “all clear” had been issued by mid-afternoon, allowing employees to re-enter the facility, according to Freeport Police Department Chief Raymond Garivey. Garivey said his department had not received word of any plant closure related to the fire, adding that they would typically be notified if a facility was shutting as a result of an incident. Freeport LNG did not say what caused the fire and provided no comment on the status of plant operations. An investigation into what prompted the explosion was underway, a spokesperson for the company […]