Houston-area residents and workers complained of itchy throats and burning eyes following tank fire

[Gothmog]

This fire is more than 40+ miles from my house but the wind is blowing it right over my part of town

Link to tweet

I am feeling the effects with a sore throat and a cough. This fire is going to be burning for a while and the cloud will be closer to ground tomorrow.

[rusty quoin]

1. Texas state regulators say no need to worry.

I would worry, but please be safe.

[TexasTowelie]

2. My sister lives in Deer Park

and her husband is on a CPAP machine. I'm certain that he is having respiratory pain.

[Gothmog]

3. Texas tells people not to worry about vomiting, shortness of breath following massive chemical fire

Arghh https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/3/25/1845035/-Texas-tells-people-not-to-worry-about-vomiting-shortness-of-breath-following-massive-chemical-fire

A fire at a petrochemical storage facility sent noxious clouds over two Texas cities, but state authorities are telling residents not to worry. Some residents, told to shelter in place as the fire burned last week and now experiencing symptoms including vomiting, burning eyes, and shortness of breath, aren’t so sure.

In addition to the fire that burned for four days, a containment wall broke Friday, letting chemical waste into waterways and causing another fire. Tests by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found nine different chemicals in the water that “exceed their health-protective concentration level,” but insisted there’s no threat to drinking water. The TCEQ also found benzene in the air, but said it wasn’t at dangerous levels.

“I have a garden in my backyard. I'm about to take it up,” area resident Brian Williams told CNN. “I'm not going to eat anything out of it anymore.” Williams says the smoke made him feel sick and he vomited, but since “A lot of us can't afford to go to the doctor … we have to live with this.”

Another area resident, who says “We were held hostage in our own homes,” tried to get his blood tested for benzene exposure. But insurance denied the test, which would have cost $350 out of pocket.