Report From DNS.. An update from a chemical plant fire south of Dallas, TX
On Oct 3rd 2011 From R.S.O.E./ E.D.I.S. Description :
Massive plumes of black smoke billowed from a raging fire at a chemical plant south of Dallas today, prompting evacuations for some schools and residents and sending others to take shelter inside with doors and windows shut to avoid possible exposure to any dangerous gases. Bright orange flames engulfed the Magnablend Chemical Plant facility in Waxahachie, about 30 miles south of Dallas. Images from local television stations showed the fast-moving blaze consuming a fire truck as firefighters worked nearby. No injuries have been reported since the fire was first called in about 10:40am, according to Waxahachie police. Authorities ordered residents closest to the plant to evacuate, while others were advised to stay inside. The Ellis County Office of Emergency Management issued an alert asking residents of an apartment complex near the plant, along with anyone at Wedgeworth Elementary School and Navarro College's Waxahachie campus to immediately evacuate. Credit: rsoe edis  |
| THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/WFAA.COM |
Updated: October 4th, 2011 From R.S.O.E./ E.D.I.S.
Description :
| Rapidly moving flames and booming explosions destroyed a chemical processing plant Monday morning, leading to evacuations of schools and homes as thick, black toxic smoke darkened the skies. No injuries were reported in the industrial fire that began about 11 a.m. CDT at Magnablend's Texas Liquid Facility off U.S. Highway 287, about 30 miles south of Dallas. While the smoke would be dangerous to inhale, early reports discounted any immediate risk from those not at the scene. The Environmental Protection Agency was continuing to monitor the situation. Firefighters who arrived first on the scene quickly retreated to a safe distance. Two firefighters were sent scrambling as the fire swallowed an Ennis ladder truck. "The fire was moving so fast," Waxahachie Fire Chief David Hudgins said. "It was already burning through the back walls when we arrived. I didn't feel safe putting anybody in the building." The plant is not far from residential areas and two schools, and authorities estimated that 1,000 people within a radius of several blocks were evacuated. The Texas Division of Emergency Management issued an alert warning anyone near the fire to move to a safer distance. The plant's 60 workers were accounted for. "Everyone is safe at this time," said Donald Golden, a company spokesman. He said the plant mixes chemicals for agricultural uses, among other things. It was a close call for at least a few first responders. Ennis firefighters who had parked a ladder truck close to the scene were apparently caught off guard when fiery liquid came pouring out of the complex. Television images showed firefighters running from the truck as it was quickly engulfed and destroyed. Even as the fire was nearly extinguished, there remained no word on the specific cause or exactly what chemicals were burning for hours on end. "The only thing they could tell me is they were mixing chemicals and they had a reaction," Hudgins said. Air-quality concerns prompted the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to mobilize its monitoring equipment, spokeswoman Lisa Wheeler said. Magnablend uses ammonia and sulfuric, hydrochloric, nitric and phosphoric acids to blend chemicals to customers' specifications, she said. The uncertainty over what was burning lead to urgent messages to evacuate the immediate area and for those in the path of the smoke to stay indoors. Some authorities were seen in full hazmat suits. Jennifer Harvey, who lives near Ovilla, was attending her 11 a.m. class at Navarro College when they got word of the fire."As we were leaving the parking lot, you could feel the heat," Harvey said. "You could smell the stink. It was a strange smell - worse than a rotten egg kind of smell. It obviously was chemicals." She quickly climbed in her truck, but didn't turn on the air conditioning or roll down the windows as smoke darkened the sky. "I heard four cannon-like explosions," Harvey said. Brice Broyles and Matt Doyle, both students at the Navarro College Fire Academy, were taking a break and saw the smoke billowing up from the facility about 100 yards from where they were standing. Then they heard several loud pops. "You could hear the explosions," Broyles said. "In a matter of minutes the building was fully involved." He said about every five minutes there was another series of pops when another container burst into flames. Doyle said he saw the fire start on the west side of the facility and spread to the east in a matter of minutes. Barry Sharp had taken the morning off to enroll his 5-year-old daughter at Wedgeworth Elementary for her first day of school. He saw the smoke about 11 a.m. as he went back to his apartment complex, less than half a mile from the fire. "I just heard pops like a shotgun," Sharp said. "You could see fireballs. It looked like a mushroom cloud." Students and staff at Wedgeworth were taken to the Ninth Grade Academy as a precaution, according to Waxahachie Independent School District. A few parents picking their children up wore masks, and one mother told her children to cover their mouths and noses with their shirts. Residents of the Solon Place Apartments, just southeast of the plant, were also evacuated, said complex manager Sara MacDonald. "You could hear the explosions earlier on," she said. "They were just like booms." Authorities recommended the complex be evacuated as the flames moved toward the complex, she said. She estimated about 75 to 100 residents were evacuated within 25 minutes, including elderly residents and some in wheelchairs. |
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| STAR-TELEGRAM/PAUL MOSELEY |
| "People took what they could," she said. "For the most part, everyone was calm, helping each other and just making sure they had a ride." About 50 residents were evacuated from Covenant Place, an assisted-living facility, said Rob Goodpaster, a company spokesman. Most of the residents were evacuated to another facility the company owns in Waxahachie. Some residents also chose to spend a couple of days with family members, he said. By early evening, the fire was smoldering and evacuation orders were lifted. But uncertainty over possible health dangers was likely to linger. The EPA was on site and an official with the agency said initial tests did not indicate trouble. "We have not seen any significant levels that would cause a public health concern," said EPA official Nicolas Brescia. Credit: RSOE EDIS |
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