What caused explosion in West Texas?
What caused explosion in West Texas?
The fire caused ammonium nitrate to ignite, triggering the blast that registered as a 2.1 magnitude tremor that was detected on seismographs as far away as Hockley, 142 miles away.
Was there an explosion in West Texas?
Investigators confirmed that ammonium nitrate was the material that exploded….West Fertilizer Company explosion.

Explosion site several days after the event | |
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Date | April 17, 2013 |
Time | 7:50:38 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
Location | West Fertilizer Co., 1471 Jerry Mashek Drive, West, Texas, U.S. |
Coordinates | 31.816°N 97.088°W |
How many tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in West Texas?
2,700 tons
At least 135 people have died and another 5,000 were hurt after about 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited inside a warehouse near the port.
How many firefighters died in the West explosion?
On April 17, 2013, ten emergency first responders (ranging in age from 26 to 52 and all male) were killed when a burning fertilizer plant containing an estimated 40 to 60 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded just outside the city limits.
What blew up in Texas 2021?
Fire breaks out in Baytown, Texas HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – An explosion at an ExxonMobil plant in Texas injured four people early Thursday, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The oil plant said the fire broke out around 1 a.m. in Baytown, Texas, east of Houston.

What is the biggest explosion in Texas?
Texas City explosion of 1947
Texas City explosion of 1947, industrial disaster sparked by the fire and explosion of the SS Grandcamp on April 16–17, 1947, in Texas City, Texas. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15-foot (4.5-metre) tidal wave. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured.
Where did the Texas City explosion happen?
The 1947 Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on Wednesday, April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, Texas, United States, at Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history and one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions.
Where was the chemical plant explosion in Texas?
March 16, 2019 – Baytown Complex Plant Explosion Houston A fire broke out at a plant refinery at ExxonMobil Complex in Baytown. Although the fire was put out a couple of hours later, Harris County officials allege that it continued to release toxic pollutants for at least eight more days.
What year was Texas City disaster?
April 16, 1947Texas City disaster / Start date
On the morning of April 16, 1947, a fire started on the SS Grandcamp, a cargo ship docked in the Port of Texas City, igniting 2,300 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate fertilizer in its hold. The resulting explosion leveled the dock and surrounding industrial area and ignited two more explosions.
What happened at BP Texas City explosion?
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 23, 2005, a series of explosions occurred at the BP Texas City refinery during the restarting of a hydrocarbon isomerization unit. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured. Many of the victims were in or around work trailers located near an atmospheric vent stack.
What happened in Port Neches Texas?
Friday, Nov. 27, marked one year since Port Neches and other surrounding towns in Southeast Texas awoke with a thunderous boom and an orange, glowing sky above their neighborhoods as the chemical plant erupted in flames that burned for the next month.
Are there any wildfires burning in Texas?
12 Active Wildfires Burning in Texas.
How many people died in the BP Texas City explosion?
Fifteen workers
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 23, 2005, a series of explosions occurred at the BP Texas City refinery during the restarting of a hydrocarbon isomerization unit. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured.
What caused the explosion in Port Neches?
New report from Chemical Safety Board details 6,000 gallon butadiene leak. In 50 seconds, about 6,000 gallons of liquid vapor, mostly butadiene, escaped a processing tower at the TPC plant in Port Neches. The explosion was 2 minutes later.
Where are the fires in West TX?
Large wildfires have ripped through parts of West Texas since Tuesday, prompting a disaster declaration and mandatory evacuations in southern Taylor County. The Mesquite Heat Fire near Buffalo Gap, about 17 miles southwest of Abilene, spread to nearly 10,000 acres in Taylor County as of Wednesday afternoon.
Where is the big fire in Texas?
The Crittenberg Complex fire in Coryell County, about 120 miles south of Fort Worth, is made up of three fires that have burned together.