Big Chemical Plan Fire in Waxachachie, TX Any threads about it?

[itsrobert]

Anyone?

Hope DUers in TX are safe.

[MADem]

1. Where is that located--by that, I mean, near which city the average person might know? nt

[Horse with no Name]

3. It is southwest of Dallas about 40 miles. n/t

[MADem]

6. They do not know the cause, there are chemicals in the plant,

there are evacuations of schools happening...

It just came on my regional news channel!

[Horse with no Name]

7. Ammonia is one of the chemicals

Initially they were keeping the kids inside, but after seeing that noxious toxic black smoke, I am glad they are evacuating them.

[MADem]

8. It looked NASTY. They're back to regular news, but they said they will

cut in with updates.

Wonder what caused that mess?

[Horse with no Name]

9. My best guess would be lack of regulation

lack of safety features, etc.

If they are the ones I am thinking of, this complex is a series of pre-fab buildings with a bunch of tanks back behind where they store the chemicals.

[w8liftinglady]

39. Right. Remember- Downwinders At Risk was formed for a reason

[SidDithers]

2. It's not a nuke non-event, so no...nt

Sid

[mod mom]

4. It's at the Magnablend Plant. There's incredible video of it but from FAUX

so I didn't link. Maybe someone will find a better link.

[Horse with no Name]

5. Here is one

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/

Image only at this link--no video

[WhiteTara]

10. Wow! That is huge and scary!

Stay safe and probably...RUN AWAY as fast as you can.

[uponit7771]

18. whoa, I live around 15 - 20 miles from Wax....not home though

[malaise]

45. Good fugging grief!

Stay safe DUers :grouphug:

[icymist]

11. Large fire at chemical plant south of Dallas

WAXAHACHIE, Texas (AP) -- A raging fire at a chemical plant south of Dallas is sending black smoke billowing into the sky and prompting area schools to evacuate students.

<snip>
Images from WFAA-TV show the fast-moving fire engulfing a fire truck at the scene as firefighters nearby battle the blaze.

Magnablend's website says it's a chemical manufacturing company that makes custom chemicals for industries ranging from oil fields to industrial cleaning.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHEMICAL_PLANT_FIRE_TEXAS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-03-13-31-27

[SpiralHawk]

12. "Relax. I'll just blast the shit out of it." - Tricky Rickster (R)

[icymist]

13. CNN Livestream of the fire.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/cvplive/cvpstream4?hpt=hp_t2

You'll have to wait until the energy comerical is over. Oh the irony.

Updates from The Stranger:

UPDATE 10:13 AM: There is a pleasant little stream running next to the chemical plant. It is on fire. This is Rick Perry's America.

UPDATE 10:30 AM: ExxonMobil has removed their branding from the fire livestream.

UPDATE 10:32 AM: Firefighters are working as hard as they can to keep the fire from spreading to some adjoining trees. At the moment, it looks like they're succeeding.
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/10/03/watch-live-video-from-a-texas-chemical-plant-fire

[MADem]

14. I am still seeing an ExxonMobil brand mark on my screen--and a commercial!

That "pleasant little stream" remark was a hoot--in a sick way.

[icymist]

15. Yup! You ought to read some of the comments at the Stanger site...

<snip>
Wow, instead of the rain they prayed for, God sent fire. I don't think He likes Rick Perry very much.

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/10/03/watch-live-video-from-a-texas-chemical-plant-fire

That fireman on the end of that ladder is pretty brave IMHO!

[MADem]

16. I have never seen so much unremittingly black smoke in my life.

That smoke isn't dark grey, it is deep black in spots--like ink.

Jesus, what is burning? I guess they got everyone out of there--they were panning around and all the parking lots looked pretty empty.

[icymist]

17. You ought to try googling chemical fire and Texas...

There must be a hundred of them in just the past decade!

[MADem]

19. Good god--I guess it's cheaper to let it burn than install

serious fire suppression capability within the plants?

[jwirr]

20. What is Magnablend's product?

[Horse with no Name]

31. Fertilizer and agricultural products. n/t

[jwirr]

47. Thank you. That is dangerous stuff in that smoke. Everyone be

careful.

[w8liftinglady]

21. I live 5 miles north of it

They have evacuated Navarro College in Waxahachie(my son goes there).

Smokey Joe Barton at work...not the first time
http://downwindersatrisk.org/

[TBF]

22. I've seen a few threads on it.

Waxachachie is a suburb of Dallas but pretty far down. Of course with how dry it's been in this state I suppose that makes any fire more of a risk than it might otherwise be. Hope there were no fatalities.

[Avalux]

23. Local news feed of fire:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Massive-Industrial-Fire-Burns-in-Waxahachie-130982093.html

[TBF]

25. We have plant fires from time to time in south Houston, but man that one is nasty.

I don't think I've ever seen that dark of smoke.

[w8liftinglady]

24. several schools are on fire...

[TBF]

26. Stay safe w8lifting lady. nt

[w8liftinglady]

28. my kids are at the State Fair in Dallas- we're safe

[Avalux]

29. Schools are on fire?

Is that a new report?

I am concerned that the ammonia carried in the smoke will really harm people....it drops to the ground faster than other particles in the smoke. Please be careful!

[w8liftinglady]

32. correction- in the fume path...engulfed in the smoke plume

[Avalux]

34. That must be the school they evacuated. Thanks. n/t

[w8liftinglady]

27. here is the plant website...if you're curious

http://www.magnablend.com/texascentral.html

[w8liftinglady]

30. Hwy 287- a major thoroughfaire between Ft Worth and Houston is closed

[w8liftinglady]

33. here's a slide show...my kid's college is in the background

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Massive-Industrial-Fire-Burns-in-Waxahachie-130982093.html

[SidDithers]

35. Wild video just posted in Political Videos...

oil fire spreading over top of water and engulfing a fire truck.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x621183

Sid

[Strelnikov_]

37. Looks like they need a new ladder truck n/t

[w8liftinglady]

36. DeSoto ISD is closing all buildings because of the smoke

10 miles north.... the smoke is moving north with winds about 10mph

[w8liftinglady]

38. reminder- cutting VFD funding part of Perry's budget

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/texas-cut-fire-department-funding-by-75-percent-this-year/

[Renew Deal]

43. He better find some cash for a new fire truck

And God knows what else.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x621183

[w8liftinglady]

44. no shit... in Joe barton's Home Town, nonetheless

[w8liftinglady]

40. There will be a news conference at 2 PM

[w8liftinglady]

41. "There is some concern that acids in this smoke may fall downwind"

[Gari]

42. Chemical fire here a while ago in Bryan, TX

We had a cluster of birth defects afterwards. I hope they are getting all the pregnant women out of the area.

http://www.theeagle.com/local/BV-birth-defects--cause-for-concern

[w8liftinglady]

46. the fire chief still doesn't have the MSDS sheets of what they were mixing

[w8liftinglady]

48. The fire department elected to not go inside.

Smart- there was leaking liquids all over the place...spread to the rail cars and the railroad tracks behind the factory.NAPTA was in one rail car(like gasoline)

For the record...navarro College's parking lot backs up to the factory.

[w8liftinglady]

49. now, the EPA is speaking

[w8liftinglady]

50. "We just started air monitoring about 30 minutes ago"

"Monitoring for particulates"
monitoring the perimeter at 1/4, 1/2 and one mile markers

[Horse with no Name]

51. What about the employees who were there when it exploded???

Why hasn't that been addressed?

[w8liftinglady]

52. according to the fire chief, all 30 escaped without injury

there have been some fire vehicles damaged...I have a feeling the firefighters may suffer more.

[Horse with no Name]

53. Good. The firefighters not so much.

:(

[w8liftinglady]

54. In theory-those downwind(greater than 10 miles) are not "at risk"

still don't have the chemicals identified

[Arugula Latte]

55. Good thing there are few pesky business regulations in Texas.

Jesus, hope they get that under control soon.