Explosion and Fire at Texas City Chemical Plant

[i_dont_chat]

Channel 13, Houston, Texas, just reported a series of 4 explosions and a large fire at Amoco Chemical Company in Texas City -- I think it is called BP now.

My mother in TC felt 2 of the blasts. Plant is at Highway 146 and Texas Avenue.

[rickylc]

Thanks for the info.

Is it unusual to have 4 explosions and no one hurt?

Do these things usually happen away from where people are working?

My first thought would be somebody screwed up if this is an industrial accident and would have been in proximity of the explosion. I have no idea of the workings of one of these plants.

[Cold Heat]

Look Friend.

I am well aware of the FBI alert.

This one single fire does not fit a terror MO.

I worked in these plants for twenty years. One of them had fires like this 5 times in two years.(I have worked in this one)

The photo's show that the fire is confined to one area, (the furnace) and is totally controlled.(we used to call them heaters. They are big.) They are letting the chems burn off.

Do you feel terrorized?

I don't.

If you do, you need to seek counseling.

As a man who lived through the threat of atomic bomb threats for many years, I can tell you that this is not terror!

[SteelTrap]

I used to work there and I just got a first hand report from two of my compadres who are still working there. Two guys got inhalation injuries - nothing permanent. Bottom line: no bomb or terrorist related activity. They'll be back in business within two weeks.

[jpsb]

BP plant, is a major refiner of gasoline, I think. 500,000 gals/day. I think I will stock up this weekend.

[TiaS]

That incident happened in the spring of 1947 and was said to have been a munitions ship. Over five hundred people died in the explosion, mostly residents of a low income area.

[GalvestonGal.com]

"News2Houston's chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley said a light northwest wind carried the smoke away from Texas City and toward the Gulf. "

This has been a little confused. The winds have been from the south and have been carrying the fumes northeast over Galveston Bay.

Local Fox News weather just said the winds will shift within two hours and 14 MPH winds will carry the smoke down south towards the Gulf. (and over Galveston island- gack!)

[WestCoastGal]

Can you find out what happened to cause the explosions?

[jungleboy]

Hope your right! Didn't mean to offend you...(i'll just go back to whitlin' on my longknife)

[jpsb]

this kind of stuff happens all the time in SE Texas, last week we had a tanker wreck just outside Texas city, stuff happens.

[rickylc]

Great news!!!

[jpsb]

Front comming later tonight winds (as you well know) from sw at the moment.

[Dog Gone]

That's good to hear. Three years ago, this report wouldn't have gotten much of a thread at this forum. After all, these incidents are hardly uncommon. Almost always, they look worse than they really are.

[Army Air Corps]

I am speaking with my uncle who worked for Amoco; this is a chemical plant. he is suspicious regarding the part of the facility that is burning.

[Cold Heat]

This is in the chemical section. Probably plastic poly stuff. They make it and ship out by rail. It stinks and is highly irritating but it is not as dangerous as some stuff like ethelyenes.

I would guess the piping in the heater fractured. The hot vapors exploded in the unit multiple times until they got it shut down.

Not a lot of personel hang around those things when they are running. Just a operator or two.

[jungleboy]

I Understand... Stuff Happens! Thank God no major injuries reported!

[jungleboy]

Thanks for the inside scoop!

[Cold Heat]

Not offended, just trying to explain how common these things are.

Terrorists would try to do something big or hit multiple facilities at once. Try to overwhelm the system, etc.

These plants have enough fire protection that they rarely need outside help to put it out.

They call local FD's as a matter of courtesy and public relations.

[WestCoastGal]

Please keep us posted if you find out anything.

[jpsb]

Yes thank God, on the bright side business should be good at the bar tomorrow, a lot of hands will have the day off.

[Army Air Corps]

My uncle decided to call a buddy of his from the Amoco days: this particular friend was the plant manager for that facility some years ago and may have some idea of what could have happened.