Four Hurt in Texas Industrial Fire, Blast

FORT WORTH, Texas – A series of explosions rocked a chemical plant Thursday and set off a raging fire, injuring four people and sending up a pillar of black smoke that could be seen 30 miles away.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. Workers at the Valley Solvents & Chemicals plant told authorities they heard an explosion and then noticed a fire near a tractor-trailer that had just pulled in to deliver chemicals, said fire Lt. Kent Worley.

Company President Bill Davis said late Thursday that there were indications the unloading truck may have sparked the fire.

The driver suffered a burned leg, one employee had arm burns and another hurt his back trying to flee, Worley said. Specifics of the fourth person’s injuries were not available.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours after the blast, and the fire had diminished by late afternoon.

It raged in and around more than a dozen large metal and plastic tanks containing 2,000 to 4,000 gallons of methanol, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, ethanol and other chemicals.

Davis said none of the chemicals posed a threat to resident: “People don’t need to be worried about any extreme toxicity.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has sent an official to the scene with air-monitoring equipment to provide information to local officials, said Cynthia Fanning, an agency spokeswoman said.

Officials said there were no evacuations, but residents in nearby neighborhoods and businesses were told to stay indoors with their windows closed. Those voluntary restrictions were lifted about 6 p.m., said Eileen Houston-Stewart, a city spokeswoman.

The blaze was in a large industrial area not close to any residential neighborhoods.

“It shook all the buildings here,” said Angela McCollum, who works at a cement plant about 100 yards away. “All I can see is just tons of fire and tons of smoke, and it’s really kind of scary.”