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View Full Version : Fertilizer Plant Explosion in Texas



GoMuskies
04-17-2013, 11:24 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROrpKx3aIjA&feature=youtu.be

Holy. Hell.

waggy
04-18-2013, 12:19 AM
Looks bad. What isn't anymore?

PM Thor
04-18-2013, 08:25 AM
I don't want to judge, but as a firefighter, you HAVE to know your first in responding area and what is around you. From what I've seen and heard so far (which is very early still), they didn't have a proper area evacuated early on, nor were they attempting to do so.

GoMuskies
04-18-2013, 09:43 AM
They also apparently put water on anhydrous amonia. Which is a no-no.

My company has fertilizer plants, and I know that they regularly have the local fire departments in so that they know the building and understand what to do in case of fire. Apparently there was a lack of such communication/coordination in West.

DC Muskie
04-18-2013, 09:47 AM
They also apparently put water on anhydrous amonia. Which is a no-no.

My company has fertilizer plants, and I know that they regularly have the local fire departments in so that they know the building and understand what to do in case of fire. Apparently there was a lack of such communication/coordination in West.

Did they build this plant near homes, or was the explosion that big that it reached a housing complex?

PM Thor
04-18-2013, 02:04 PM
Did they build this plant near homes, or was the explosion that big that it reached a housing complex?

DC, you would be shocked to know what is in neighborhoods. Hell, here in Cincy there is a straight up chemical plant in Winton Hills, with lower income housing walking distance away, right off of 75. Every single Cincy firefighter knows that place, just waiting for the thing to go up. They have accidents there all the time. That's just one example.

As for West, Texas, go to google maps and put in "West Fertilizer Co, Jerry Mashek Drive, West, TX". The plant is actually fairly isolated from the rest of the town....except for the freaking schools being right next to it. Holy Bejeesus they dodged a major bullet with this happening at night.

bobbiemcgee
04-18-2013, 09:53 PM
Might be an opening on the zoning board in Tx., maybe they can get the guy who ok'd the nuclear reactors on the San Andreas fault.

Cheesehead
04-18-2013, 10:20 PM
Really a much bigger deal than Boston but not getting the pub. The devastation is much worse. Blast radius is huge.