Explosions on the rise

[Kojima]

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An oil field exploded in Basra Iraq [Iraq Oil Report ; Published September 20, 2011]; Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

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List of comment about gas explosion, in order of posted time; as of 2011-09-01

 

1) SOMERVILLE, Ohio, US; "Investigation continues in house collapse"

2) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. US; "Bakersfield resident hurt in natural gas explosion"

3) Pompton Lakes, NJ, US; "Update: Suspected gas explosion levels home in Pompton Lakes [raw video]"

4) Brantford, Ontario, Canada; "Natural gas explosion levelled Brantford house: fire marshal"

5) Warren, MI, US; "City of Warren Home Explosion Underscores Need for Natural Gas Safety"

6) Castleford, West Yorkshire, UK; "Dramatic footage shows huge gas explosion at Yorkshire home"

7) Warren Park, Harare, Zimbabwe; "2 seriously injured in Warren Park gas explosion"

8) Logan City, south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia; "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house"

9) Herscher, IL, US; Douglasville, GA, US; "This Week In Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions – Aug. 22, 2011"

10) "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house" [See 8)]

11) Lakeview, MI, US; "Explosion inside Lakeview house causes fire, couple escapes with minor injuries"

12) Newborough, Victoria, Australia; "Gas blast destroys Newborough garage"

13) Cato, Montcalm, MI, US; "Couple escapes house explosion"

14) Glenrock, Converse, WY, US; "Oilfield explosion claims three"

15) St. Augustine, Fla, US; "Gas Station Explosion Site in St. Augustine now 'Stable'"

 

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* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

We'll be seeing an uptick in unusual home and business gas explosions and I'm trying to locate specific ZT on the matter.  Below is a refresher for the many gas related news articles.

http://zetatalk5.com/index/blog0214.htm

SOZT

Fault lines, when adjusting, do not just rip apart one day during a dramatic earthquake. They most often creep. Laying gas lines along or across a fault line is asking for an accident of this sort. Fault lines are also seldom so clearly delineated that one can go a mile in this or that direction and avoid their action. Where a slip-slide fault such as the San Andreas will often leave a clear line on the surface, this is only the surface action, not what occurs in the rock layers on either side which can fracture for a long way to either side during any movement. The gas company, or the age of the pipes, will be faulted but in truth the finger should be pointed in many directions. The public, who insist on living at such a scenic spot, is to blame. Officials, who zoned for housing are to blame. The public utility company, for allowing gas lines in the area, is to blame. But this will change nothing, while man continues to live on the San Andreas, even as it awakens. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/18sp2010.htm

SOZT

The danger from radon gas will not be increased as a result of the pole shift. Radon gas is emitted by rock containing uranium, which is degrading. In normal circumstances, where air can circulate, it is disbursed rapidly as is any methane created by decay of organic material. The danger from these gasses comes from confinement - being trapped in a mine, a basement, or beneath the permafrost. The dangers are well known. For methane, it is explosions. An accumulation of methane gas can be identified by the smell of rotten eggs, or as some have described it, dirty socks or cabbage soup. For radon gas the danger is lung cancer, from the continual exposure to the radioactive air. Radon gas is odorless, and cannot be detected except by specialized equipment not in the hands of the average person.

In that the pole shift, or the Earth changes preceding the pole shift, can fracture rock and release pockets of either gas, survivors should be cautious about huddling in bunkers. You are safer out in the open air, or in a trench you have dug that will allow the pole shift winds to pass over you, but nothing to fall on and crush you. The fact that both methane gas and radon gas can accumulate in the bunkers of the elite is one of the reasons we have stated that they have dug their own graves. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/12mr2011.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT

Anyone watching the news, for instance the news on the San Bruno explosion in a distribution line close to the San Andreas Fault line, knows that gas in any form is a danger. Oil and gas refineries explode when rigid piping cracks. Oil or gas wells explode when the ground around them moves. And the gas distribution lines running under cities are no exception. They likewise will explode. Gas lines, whether along the street or within a home, are rigid. In some cases automatic shutoff valves can limit the amount of gas available for an explosion by sensing a drop in pressure, but this is always after the fact. The explosion has already occurred. Utilizing gas on a planet prone to earthquakes was a mistake to begin with, but man never thinks of the consequences when striving for modern conveniences. We have advised turning off the gas at the street, though when the street explodes and your neighbor's homes are on fire you are not likely to escape the holocaust. A better alternative is to live in an area where gas is not available, as in your rural safe location where you will be doing a form of camping while gardening. A campfire at night, for cooking and washing and a bit of friendly light before bed. Nothing explosive. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/02oc2010.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT Answer: It is no accident that the New Madrid fault lies under the Mississippi River near Memphis, as rivers form in lowlands created when land pulls apart, separating the rock fingers and weakening support for the land. Thus, the Ohio River bed also is an indication of where rock fingers will pull apart. Two adjustments in Kentucky, a day apart, are not an accident, but an indication of the speed at which the stretch zone is starting to adjust. Rail lines are frequently an early harbinger of such adjustments, as they run long distances, whereas structures within cities, such as tall buildings, take up relatively little space and have a small footprint. Our warning that imploding cities will be experienced, before the hour of the shift, are in this regard. Be warmed, it will not just be your rail lines and gas and water mains that will shatter and be pulled apart during the stretch. The foundations of your tall buildings will likewise be vulnerable.EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/newsletr/issue008.htm

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[Original post on January 20, 2011]

Original title: Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/19/pennsylvania.gas.explosion/index.h...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The explosion occurred in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood
• The blast killed one utilities worker and injured five other people
• Some of the injuries are serious

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"They were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-explosion-philadelphia-...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-gas-main-explodes-126...

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/short-circuit-at-arms-depot-led-...

Short-circuit at arms depot led to multiple explosions in Sialkot: Pakistan Army

WION Web Team

NEW DELHI Published: Mar 20, 2022, 12:14 PM(IST)

The explosion is suspected to have occurred at an ammunition depot in an area controlled by the Pakistan Army. Photograph:( Twitter )

The sound of the blast was reportedly heard near the cantonment area in the Punjab province.

The Pakistan Army on Sunday said that an unintended fire broke out at an ammunition shed near Sialkot Garrison on Sunday, resulting in many explosions in the area.

Ary News quoted the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as claiming that an unintentional fire broke out in a munitions shed near Sialkot Garrison owing to short-circuiting. 

"Due to an effective and timely response, the damage was immediately contained and the fire has been extinguished. No damage to property or loss of life, "the Pakistan military’s media wing said.

An explosion was heard in the city of Sialkot earlier today.

According to media reports, the sound of the explosion was apparently heard near the cantonment region in Punjab province. 

The video footage of the explosions immediately went viral on social media.

The ISPR's statement came after reports of fires and explosions in the Sialkot area flooded social media. 

(With inputs from agencies)

[Nick Shanks]

https://www.wxyz.com/news/us-23-closed-in-both-directions-near-fent...

US-23 reopens after gas line rupture sends debris into road near Fenton

(WXYZ) — Crews are on the scene after a gas line ruptured near US-23 and Center Road in Tyrone Township on Wednesday morning. People in the area reported on social media that they heard a loud explosion this morning.

US-23 was closed for hours in both directions before reopening.

“They were cleaning the natural gas pipe. Ground started shaking. He took off running and it just blew. 50 feet in the air. Shook the whole building and blew up old 23,” said Rick Richardson of Woody's Towing. Consumers Energy says they have no reports of fire or injuries.

“The loud boom heard earlier is the result of an apparent break in a transmission line,” a spokesperson says.

We’re told there is no service being interrupted or danger to the community.

Consumers Energy is expected to provide more updates later today.

“Luckily, it didn’t catch fire. Pretty crazy. We are waiting for the call to scrape the road but haven’t gotten the call yet,” said Richardson.

The Fenton Twp. Fire Chief says people can safely leave their homes now after initially being told to stay in place. We're told gas is no longer leaking, and anyone with damage to a home or vehicle should file a report.

Old US 23 is also open for traffic.

[Tracie Crespo]

www.keweenawreport.com/featured/explosion-ensuing-fire-destroys-hou...

Explosion, ensuing fire destroy Houghton apartment building

Just as clocks sprung forward, an explosion rocked the Franklin Square area of downtown Houghton Sunday morning. Happening just after 3:00 AM, the blast led to a fire which subsequently destroyed an apartment complex next to the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce Office and Welcome Center.

Keweenaw Report spoke to Councilor Robert Megowan, a member of the Houghton Fire Department, and City Manager Eric Waara. They both say that no cause has been determined yet, but they could confirm that residents of the complex say a loud boom was heard right before the fire broke out.

It was severe enough to cause several cars in the parking lot at the front of the complex to also go up in flames.

Social media posts also suggest that an explosion occurred. All residents escaped and are accounted for.

Peter Mackin with the Salvation Army says that many residents are Michigan Tech students. University officials helped to address the immediate needs of those evacuated, namely clothing and footwear. Those who have been displaced will continue to be helped in the days and weeks ahead, including finding new living arrangements.

Multiple departments deployed to assist Houghton Fire. Keweenaw Report saw representatives from UPPCO and SEMCO, as well as the Hancock Fire Department. Ladder trucks used hoses to attack the fire from College Avenue in front of the building and East Lakeshore Drive from behind.

Hancock Fire truck in front of the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce

Mackin wished to express gratitude to McDonald’s of Houghton for providing coffee and breakfast to crews who responded to the blaze.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://youtu.be/lJlmPtY-74I

Huge explosion sends fireball soaring into the sky at a farm in Shropshire

Mar 12, 2022

THIS is the dramatic moment a huge explosion sends a fireball soaring into the sky. The destructive blaze today ripped through a barn on farmland near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, leaving a man seriously injured in hospital. Firefighters were scrambled to the scene in the village of Six Ashes at around midday to reports of flames. Witnesses described the "mad" moment the burning ball of gas swirled into the sky surrounded by dark plumes. Read more: Dramatic moment huge EXPLOSION sends fireball soaring into sky as destructive blaze rips through barn https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1792056...

[Tracie Crespo]

Explosion at gold mining site kills at least 63, injures dozens in West Africa: "Bodies everywhere"

UPDATED ON: FEBRUARY 22, 2022 / 12:06 PM / CBS/AP

A strong explosion near a gold mining site in southwestern Burkina Faso killed at least 63 people and injured more than 100 others Monday, the national broadcaster and witnesses reported.

"We have 63 dead and around 40 injured," the public prosecutor in the town of Gaoua, Alpha Compaore, told AFP.  

The blast in the village of Gbomblora was believed to have been caused by chemicals used to treat gold that were stocked at the site.

An explosion near a gold mining site in Burkina Faso killed dozens, the national broadcaster and witnesses reported.REUTERS

State television broadcast video showing bodies covered in sheets on the ground and wounded men at a hospital, Reuters reported.

"I saw bodies everywhere. It was horrible," Sansan Kambou, a forest ranger who was at the site during the explosion, told The Associated Press by phone.

The first blast happened around 2 p.m., with more explosions following as people ran for their lives, he said.

"When we arrived the bodies were scattered, so with the security personnel which came to reinforce, we had to secure the area and use volunteers to evacuate the bodies," Poni Province High Commissioner Antoine Sylvanus Douamba said, according to Reuters. "It was probably caused by explosives but how it happened, for the moment we don't know."

Burkina Faso is the fastest-growing gold producer in Africa and currently the fifth largest on the continent, with gold being the country's most important export. The industry employs about 1.5 million people and was worth about $2 billion in 2019.

Small gold mines like Gbomblora have grown in recent years, with some 800 across the country. Much of the gold is being smuggled into neighboring Togo, Benin, Niger and Ghana, according to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies.

The small-scale mines are also reportedly used by jihadis linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have staged attacks in the country since 2016. The groups reportedly raise funds by taxing miners, and also use the mine sites for recruiting fighters and seeking refuge.

Mining experts say the small-scale mines have fewer regulations than industrial ones and thus can be more dangerous.

"The limited regulation of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector contributes to increased risks that can be very dangerous, including the use of explosives which are often smuggled into the country and used illegally," said Marcena Hunter, senior analyst at Global Initiative, a Swiss-based think tank.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/burkina-faso-explosion-gold-mining-sit...

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.wxii12.com/article/winston-salem-firefighters-on-north-...

Winston-Salem fire: Explosion feared at fertilizer plant, thousands of residents urged to evacuate

  

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

More than 6,000 residents within a one-mile radius of a Weaver Fertilizer Plant in Winston-Salem are being mandated to evacuate their homes for up to 48 hours after a massive fire at the facility erupted Monday night.

The fire was reported before 7 p.m. in the 4400 block of Cherry Street.

Authorities said Monday night that the fire is a volatile situation with a "fairly high" chance of an explosion.

Battalion Chief Patrick Grubbs, a 15-year veteran of the Winston-Salem Fire Department, shared an update with members of the media early Tuesday.

"We're asking everyone to stay out of this area and evacuate the scene," he said, adding that around 6,000 citizens live in the one-mile radius of the plant.

For residents of Winston-Salem, the evacuation line is not expected to expand at this time.

The Winston-Salem fertilizer plant stores 10 times more ammonium nitrate than there was at the time of the fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West Texas in April 2013, according to Mayor Allen Joines.

The blast in Texas nearly a decade ago killed 15 people and wiped out hundreds of homes was caused by a criminal act, investigators determined.

Emergency responders from around the Piedmont Triad, including the Greensboro and Lewisville fire departments, have been called in to help Winston-Salem crews.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation as crews can't get up close to the scene.

---

HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW:

• Emergency officials said air quality is going to be poor Tuesday. People are urged to stay away from any kind of strenuous activity or exercise.
• Authorities urge people to call 911 only in an emergency.
• North Hills Elementary School in Winston-Salem is within the evacuation zone and will not be opened Tuesday. North Hills will utilize remote learning as an option today. District officials said all other Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will operate normally, but parents should know that road closures could impact some bus routes and normal travel across the city. People near those areas to be aware buses could be slightly delayed today and that they may need to plan alternative routes to and from school as a precaution.
• Video posted by the city of Winston-Salem showed towering flames and heavy smoke, and people living within a one-mile radius of the plant were asked to evacuate after the fire reached a rail car holding explosive chemicals.
• No injuries have been reported from the fire.
• Firefighters battled the flames two hours before the rail car, which is filled with ammonium nitrate, became impacted, Grubbs said. Since then, all crews have been evacuated.
• A lone fire engine with no firefighter is spraying water at the scene, and drones are being used to assess the situation multiple times an hour.
• At least 150 first responders are helping with the fire, including fire, police and emergency management teams. Grubbs did not know how long crews would be on scene but said he wouldn't be leaving "anytime soon."

---

To alert people to evacuate, Grubbs said firefighters have been going door-to-door all night and driving fire trucks through neighborhoods with loudspeakers to make the announcement.

Evacuees are encouraged to report to the Education Building at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

Residents should be prepared to be away from their homes for up to 36 to 48 hours.

EVACUATIONS INCLUDE OFF-CAMPUS WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HOUSING:

Wake Forest students can go to the Wellbeing Center, Benson University Center and ZSR library. Students can bring a sleeping bag, pillow or blanket to be comfortable, university officials said.

University officials said they are working on long-term plans for those who don't have an alternative place to go.

Classes for Wake Forest students have been canceled for Tuesday.

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EVACUATIONS INCLUDE FORSYTH COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY:

Authorities evacuated offenders housed at the Forsyth County Correctional Facility overnight due to the fire. It's unclear at this time where the inmates are being transferred.

NBC affiliate WRAL contributed to this report

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.kristv.com/news/chemical-release-being-contained

Small explosion and chemical release contained at OxyChem Chemical Plant

Small explosion and chemical release contained at Oxychem Chemical Plant

By: Alyssa Flores

Posted at 3:02 PM, Jan 27, 2022

 

and last updated 6:20 PM, Jan 27, 2022

GREGORY, Texas — UPDATE:
Around 1:30 p.m., there was a fire at the Oxychem Chemical Plant that caused a plume that was visible from outside the plant.

According to Sara Williams, the San Patricio County Emergency Management Coordinator, the fire led to a small explosion, and Oxychem was able to contain the fire on-site with their on-site response team.

Oxychem had their staff and staff of the plant next door, Chemours Ingleside Plant, shelter in place, as is standard protocol since the plants are so close to eachother.

Oxychem is now doing air monitoring to ensure there was not residual chemicals that could harm anybody.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is aware of the explosion and leak, and released this statement to KRIS 6 News:

TCEQ’s Region office in Corpus Christi is aware of this matter and is enroute with air monitoring equipment.

We will conduct an investigation to determine whether any violations have occurred, but for now our focus is on assisting local officials in any immediate response needs they may have.

Shane K. Boyd with OxyChem provided this statement:

This afternoon, the OxyChem Ingleside facility experienced a release at the plant. There were no injuries, the issue was isolated and resolved by employees, and an all-clear has been issued. For OxyChem, protecting the safety, security and health of our workers and neighboring communities is our first priority.

ORIGINAL STORY:

According to Sheriff Oscar Rivera, a fire and chemical release is being contained at the OXY chemical plant in Ingleside.

Rivera says it was part of one of their processing units and they believe the chemical release was chlorine.

Oxy and Chemours personnel are sheltering in place.

No vapor or product is believed to have left their site.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://khak.com/explosion-at-iowa-chemical-plant-lights-up-the-nig...

EXPLOSION AT IOWA CHEMICAL PLANT LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT SKY [WATCH]

Ryan "Brain" Brainard

Published: January 27, 2022

The images coming out of Clinton, Iowa from Wednesday night don't look good. They show a massive explosion that occurred at a chemical plant in the Eastern Iowa town. But fortunately, despite the blast, no one at the facility was injured. And the entire event was caught on camera.

WQAD reports that LyondellBasell officials say that the explosion happened at around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday night. They say that it was caused by an operational event in which one of the plant's low-density reactors made a "loud noise". I'll say. That loud noise also was accompanied by a large fireball.

A resident who lives just outside the city of Clinton also caught the explosion on video on one of his home surveillance cameras. He told WQAD that he'd lived in the area for years and had never seen anything like this. He said that it felt like lightning had struck the entire area.

Plant officials stress that there is no cause for concern in the community and that because safety equipment at the plant worked like it was supposed to, there were no injuries during the explosion. An amazing feat when you watch the video of just how big an explosion it really was. WQAD reports that the fireball could be seen as far away as Illinois.

The Clinton Complex is one of the largest chemical plants in the state of Iowa, covering some 239 acres and employing nearly 400. WQAD reports that the plant uses natural gas as feedstock and then converts it to polyethylene plastic resins.

 

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/passaic-city/2022/01...

11-alarm chemical fire in Passaic injures firefighter, burns into morning hours Saturday

Katie SobkoAnne-Marie CarusoMichael KarasScott Fallon

NorthJersey.com

PASSAIC — More than 200 firefighters continued to battle an 11-alarm chemical fire that sent one to the hospital early Saturday morning.

Frigid temperatures caused runoff water to freeze and create even more hazards for first responders from three counties.

Mayor Hector Lora said that the bulk of the fire, which began around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, is in the Majestic Industries portion of the property but that part has also spread to the Qualco chemical plant at 225 Passaic St.

Lora, who took to Facebook Live throughout the night with updates, said the fire was in multiple buildings and that they expected to lose the whole structure.

"There have been bad fires but this is the worst that I've ever seen," he said.

Lora said the fire was still not under control as of 12:30 a.m. but it has not spread to where the chemicals are housed. He said the Department of Environmental Protection is on hand and will be assessing the air quality throughout the night.

“If it got to the chemicals there would have been mandatory evacuations,” Lora said. “The fire continues to burn but we have made tremendous progress.”

He noted that as the firetrucks run out of gas, they have to stop to refuel before continuing their efforts.

Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said that the building where the fire started, which is along the river, has collapsed in on itself. It was vacant but was being used to store plastics, pallets and some chlorine.

He also said that the firefighters are drafting water from the river to supplement the water that they are using.

The smoke was so significant that it was being picked up by radar from the National Weather Service as it spread across northern New Jersey and off the coast.

Residents were being evacuated from the immediate area of the blaze and advised anyone nearby to close their windows. Passaic Street from First Street to Main Avenue was closed to traffic as well as Route 21 in both directions.

“I’m asking residents to keep your windows closed as our fire department and our emergency responders are assessing the extent of this fire,” Lora said. “We are asking all residents to stay as far away as possible. This is a chemical fire. You will see the color in the sky.”

Residents seemed to be heeding those warnings along Fourth Street as the area was empty at about 10:30 p.m.

Gov. Phil Murphy echoed that sentiment on social media, posting that he urged "everyone in Passaic to stay safe as firefighters battle a large eight-alarm fire at a chemical plant off of Route 21."

"If you live nearby, keep your windows closed," Murphy said. "Praying for the safety of our first responders on the scene."

Trentacost said that about 200 firefighters from throughout Essex, Bergen and Passaic counties have responded to the fire.

“This is by no means under control but we are doing everything we can to contain it,” he said.

Trentacost said that his department has been in touch with Passaic Valley Water to provide adequate water pressure and that fire boats from other departments were also en route.

He also said that one firefighter was taken to the hospital after being hit in the face with debris. He is doing well but will remain under observation. There have been various slips and falls though as the firefighters also battle the elements.

Lora said that the buildings were empty after 5 p.m. and the security guard at the site had been accounted for.

The overwhelming scent of smoke and chemicals, particularly chlorine was enough to make people's eyes water as far away as Wallington after the wind shifted at about 10 p.m. Large embers and sprays of water are also floating across the river.

Lora stressed that it was being assessed but that it was important to stay away because it was a chemical fire.

“There are a lot of firefighters, a lot of police officers that are coming out in order to ensure that individuals are evacuated from the immediate area,” Lora said. “Because this is a chemical fire we are extremely concerned for the health and safety of those in the area.”

Mutual aid from "basically everywhere" was on hand and Lora said that "as of right now" there were no reports of loss of life but he was concerned for police, fire and emergency personnel.

Firefighters are battling the blaze in frigid conditions. The city was 20 degrees after midnight but subzero wind chills are expected overnight with winds of about 15 to 20 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

It will feel about -10 to -5 degrees tonight into mid to late Saturday morning.

Lora said the city was working to set up a shelter in the city for those displaced. Nearby Wallington sent an alert to their residents advising them to stay indoors with windows closed and to be on the lookout for large embers coming across the river. East Rutherford also posted that "shifting winds may cause smoke from the working fire at a chemical factory in Passaic to pass over areas of the borough" and encouraged residents to stay inside until the fire is under control. 

Qualco, the site of the fire, produces and distributes chemicals used to treat pools and spas. They have been based in the city for more than 30 years.

The company housed more than two dozen chemicals on site in 2020 with a daily inventory ranging from 500 pounds of sodium hexametaphosphate to 500,000 pounds of the industrial disinfectant trichloroisocyanuric acid, according to the latest “Community Right to Know” data on hazardous substances from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

According to a 2016 safety datasheet on the website paspdirect.com, Qualco had several chemicals on site including aluminum chlorhydrate and 1,2-Ethanediamine that were the ingredients to a product called “Liquid Floc Rite“ that settles unfilterable substances like algae to the pool floor to be vacuumed. The report says it can cause serious eye damage and skin irritation.

The Passaic Fire Department had used the Qualco facility in the 1990s as a training ground for dealing with large scale chemical fires and spills.

Story continues after tweet

The blaze was reminiscent of the infamous 1985 Labor Day fire that tore through about 20 percent of ... The fire incinerated 21 century-old factories and 17 apartment buildings as well as homes in the Lower Dundee area of the city.

Despite the cold temperatures, January fires have ravaged North Jersey in recent years. A massive fire destroyed the Atlantic Coast Fibers recycling plant ... last year. In that case firefighters braved the brutal cold overnight and into the next day to put out the fire, which engulfed an entire city block and veiled the city’s skyline with smoke. There were at least two explosions at the site.

And two years earlier, on Jan. 30, 2019, the landscape of nearby Elmwood Park was changed forever when a 10-alarm blaze levelled the historic Marcal Paper Mill. By the end of the night, 30 of the 36 structures on the site were either damaged or destroyed. The Marcal sign that colored the Elmwood Park portion of Route 80 a tint of red for decades was famously destroyed as well.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-injuries-after-fire-exxons-ba...

Four injured in fire at Exxon's Baytown, Texas plant

By Arpan Varghese

Dec 23 (Reuters) - Four people were injured when a fire erupted on Thursday morning at an Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) complex in Baytown, Texas, one of the largest refining and petrochemical facilities in the United States.

There were no fatalities and those injured were in a stable condition, while other personnel were accounted for, Exxon said.

Emergency response teams were working to extinguish the blaze more than five hours after it erupted at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, the company said.

The fire occurred in a hydrotreater unit at the oil refinery that had been shut on Wednesday due to a bypass line leak, people familiar with plant operations told Reuters. The injured were contractors who had been repairing the leak.

Three of the injured were flown to hospital by Lifeflight rescue helicopter and a fourth person was taken by ambulance, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter.

He said initial reports had indicated there had been some type of explosion at the plant. Social media users said on Twitter that a blast shook buildings in the area.

View from the road of a fire at petrochemical company ExxonMobil's refinery near Houston in Baytown, Texas, U.S., December 23, 2021 in this image obtained from social media. Molly Fitzpatrick via REUTERS

An Exxon official told a news conference the blaze had affected a unit that produces gasoline.

The Baytown plant houses a chemical plant, an olefins plant and the country's fourth biggest oil refinery, with capacity to process 560,500 barrels per day of crude.

The facility spans about 3,400 acres along the Houston Ship Channel, about 25 miles (40 km) east of Houston and employs about 7,000 people.

The olefins facility, which began operations in 1979, is one of the largest ethylene plants in the world, according to the company's website.

Production was reduced across the Baytown refining and petrochemical complex in August 2019 because of a fire in a propylene recovery unit at the olefins plant.

As many as 37 workers were injured in another fire at the olefins facility in July 2019.

Four injured in fire at Exxon's Baytown, Texas plant

Reporting by Arpan Varghese, Bharat Govind Gautam, Akriti Sharma and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru, Erwin Seba in Houston; Additional reporting by Paarth Gururajan and Seher Dareen; graphic by Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa; Editing by Edmund Blair and Kirsten Donovan