Flames and smoke billowed into the air after the tanker exploded on US Route 15 in Maryland, according to Ron Snyder, public information officer for Maryland State Police (MDSP). Plano Fire Rosselot added, The potential for higher vapor concentrations needs to be recognized, so that care is taken to prevent the vapors in these tanks and the vapors being emitted from these tanks from coming into contact with a source of ignition.. The blast was so powerful that it sent the 12-foot diameter lid of the tank flying, before it landed on an employees car. News Exxon Texas Explosion. QUINTANA, Texas (KTRK) -- No injuries were reported Wednesday after what police initially described as an explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal near Freeport. On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be Authorities work on the scene of an explosion in Austin, Texas, March 12, 2018. More:Texas SWAT commander killed, 4 officers injured in standoff with gunman; suspect captured. They were hospitalized but their conditions were not immediately known. Two months before Tank #17 exploded, on Feb. 2, 2018, there had been an explosion in the other tank, Tank #18. This story has been shared 128,919 times. Environmental and Alaska Native advocates rallied outside the White House ahead of an expected final decision on ConocoPhillips Willow Project. When hydrogen sulfide interacts with oxidized iron inside a tank (in the form of rust, for example), it can form a new compound called iron sulfidea pyrophoric substance that, when exposed to air, can ignite. Another personposted, "Anyone else felt a big boom or house shaking just now? Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. Video footage from the scene shows debris and lumber scattered across the home's yard and into the street. MAP EMAIL It's about 70 miles south of Houston. WebMost of the booms that people hear or experience are the result of human activity, such as an explosion, a large vehicle going by, nearby construction, or sometimes a sonic boom, but there have been many reports of booms that cannot be explained by man-made sources. However, right now it is unclear if an explosion took place. ABC-7 reported that police and fire officials could not explain the ON December 30, 2021, it was reported that there was a mass explosion in El Paso, Texas. The bulletin was released in the wake of several incidents in which workers were killed or injured and includes summaries of 11 incidents, none of which involve residual fuels. No injuries were reported and there was minimal property damage as a result. The employee suffered minor burns, and the tank lid was blown into the air and landed 150 yard away. The Associated Press contributed to this report. BEIRUT (AP) Two soldiers were killed and three were injured in an explosion in northern Iraq, Iraqi state news said Thursday. ICN provides award-winning climate coverage free of charge and advertising. (AP) An August house explosion that killed three people in a southern Indiana neighborhood has been ruled accidental after investigators traced the blast to a leaking natural gas line in the home's basement, officials said Wednesday. The soldiers were traveling in an army vehicle a day earlier in the Makhmour district when an explosive device detonated, the state Iraqi News Agency reported. The plant in Port Neches in southeast Texas, about 80 miles east of Houston, makes chemical and petroleum-based products. Martinez said she stayed up for hours, watching the scene unfold. As black smoke wafted from the nearby tank, two men ran over and let Slovak know that someone was missing. ISLAMABAD (AP) A hotel catering to foreign visitors in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul was attacked Monday and three of the assailants were killed, a Taliban official said. A figure from the Chemical Safety Board report on the West explosion shows an unidentified ammonium nitrate storage facility. As refineries have gotten more efficient at squeezing every valuable drop of more profitable petroleum products, like gasoline or jet fuel, from crude oil, the products at the bottom of the vacuum stack, like asphalt or No. These additives are often proprietary chemicals or lighter hydrocarbons that would normally be further refined into diesel. WebIf you or loved one has been injured in a serious accident in a chemical plant refinery accidents, call our San Antonio Plant & Refinery accidents lawyers today. (AP) A fiery explosion that injured more than a dozen people at a Maryland condominium building was ignited by a resident who intended to kill himself and died in the blast, police said. It wasnt long before sirens began wailing and fire engines arrived on scene. The EPA has been aware of problems with the formula since at least 2007, but has not called for its field offices to investigate the emissions or required that companies directly measure and report emissions. The explosion happened Wednesday while a truck was pumping waste chemicals from the Quick Turn Anodizing facility in Guthrie, Todd County Emergency Management Director Daniel Smith told news outlets. If you have the contamination of higher flash point liquids with lower flash point liquids or the deliberate use of additives and youre not aware of what its doing to the tank vapor space, that could potentially be a hazardous situation, Zalosh said. The explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. Vaggelis Kousioras - stringer, AP. We are saddened by todays tragedy of a house explosion in our City. A digest of the most pressing climate-related news, released every Tuesday and Friday. Yes. An 18-wheel truck hit a train carrying chemicals and fuels in Cameron, Texas, early Tuesday, causing a huge explosion and starting a fire that is expected to burn for several days. Several of our residents were injured," Plano Mayor John Muns said in a statement, reportedKXAS-TV. Get a daily email of our original, groundbreaking stories written by our national network of award-winning reporters. 6, resulting in changes to the way the products performand what they emit. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Authorities on Sunday continued investigating the cause of an explosion that killed three people at a San Antonio construction company. In these cases, it is unclear whether the workers did. GUTHRIE, Ky. (AP) One worker was killed and four others were injured in an explosion at an industrial facility in western Kentucky, officials said. The first 11 cars of the train were filled with gasoline, coal and petroleum products, causing the initial explosion and fueling a fire that was still burning Tuesday evening, White said. Yet there is reason to believe that changes in the way asphalt and No. A massive explosion and fire occurred at one of the nations largest ExxonMobil refineries in Baytown, Texas, early Thursday morning, sending several workers to a local hospital. The dramatic scenes of the nighttime fire have reverberated across Iranian social media. On Nov. 19, 2014, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, an employee used a torch to heat a clogged valve, igniting flammable vapors in a mostly empty asphalt tank and causing it to explode. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said there are 33 sites in Texas today, but denied TPRs records request for more information on where they are and who operates them. By continuing to use this site, you accept this policy. In that case, the blaze was extinguished hours after it began, but Harris County officials said it continued to release toxic pollutants for eight more days. Some industry experts believe that the changes in the volatility of the heavy fuel oils from additives may be behind many explosions in tanks containing asphalt and No. Volkswagen is recalling nearly 42,000 Beetles in the U.S. and Canada because they have potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. Chambers climbed to the catwalk and got ready to separate it from the tops of the tanks. this month: 4.7 in Rotan , Texas , United States. Texas SWAT commander killed, 4 officers injured in standoff with gunman; suspect captured, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. There is no tolerance level for explosive concentrations of vapors in tanks that are vented to the atmosphereit is unacceptable for these vapors to be near their explosive limit, said Rosselot. She worked as a co-producer, field producer or associate producer on the Frontline films League of Denial (2013); Money, Power and Wall Street (2012); A Perfect Terrorist (2011); Dr. Hotspots (2011) and Law and Disorder (2010). 6 fuel oil, another heavy oil, have exploded at asphalt plants or terminals around the United States, according to news reports and filings from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Courtney Wallace, a BNSF spokesperson, confirmed that an investigation is underway and said 13 of the train's 110 cars derailed, 10 of which continued to burn Tuesday evening. PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) Would-be thieves tried to blow up an ATM in Southern California, but didn't get away with any cash, authorities said. Police and multiple fire departments responded at 1 a.m. GAITHERSBURG, Md. The accident occurred Saturday in the township of Huejutla in Mexicos Gulf coast region known as the Huasteca. The Associated Press contributed to this report. One witness said he believed the missing man had fallen inside the tank that was to be demolished. 6 fuel, because their emissions were thought to be negligible, are vented, allowing oxygen in and vapors out. He ran out of the building to see what had happened. Shankman has a Masters in Journalism from UC Berkeleys Graduate School of Journalism. No injuries were reported. Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. BEIRUT (AP) A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating blast in 2020, Lebanon's Beirut Bar Association said Thursday. The explosion happened just before 8 p.m. when workers for the utility company CenterPoint Energy were trying to shut down a gas line outside a home in the town of Spring, KXAN reported, citing the Harris County Fire Marshals Office. The explosion ripped through a section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline in the Chuvashia region during repair work. The explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. We are still checking.". Heptane, one of the main components of gasoline, is a lighter-end chemical that is sometimes included in the additives used in heavy fuels. It is a colorless gas with a gasoline-like odor, used to produce synthetic rubber products like tires, plastics and other chemicals. "They are indicating that it could take up to two or three days to actually extinguish the entire fire.". (AP) A house explosion in southwestern Indiana that injured three people has been traced to a heater that began leaking natural gas during maintenance work, authorities said. At least 37 people were injured and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Police brought in an explosives detecting dog, though the dog did not discover any explosives or hazardous materials, and police determined that the site was not a crime scene. Fire officials said they were joined at the scene by members of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in addition to Plano police. ABC-7 reported that police and fire officials could not explain the noise. However, the institutes publication acknowledges that the additives can include lighter hydrocarbons. The local news outlet reported that 20 nearby homes were damaged, but there was no word of any serious injuries or deaths. I could see the flames from the backyard," Branick said. An internal, floating roof is used to keep oxygen out and vapors in. USA TODAY 0:00 1:13 Six people were hospitalized after a home in a Dallas suburb was leveled by an explosion Monday afternoon, fire rescue officials said. The presence of these higher volatility molecules means that the concentrations of vapors in the tanks are higher than they used to be, said Rosselot. "Air quality tests in the area are ongoing. BEIRUT (AP) Lebanons top prosecutor Wednesday ordered the release of all suspects detained in the investigation into the deadly 2020 port blast in Beirut and filed charges against the judge leading the probe, he told The Associated Press. Freeport LNG reported that an incident occurred around 11:40 a.m. at its facility in the 1500 block of Lamar Street at the facility on Quintana Island, according to Brazosport CAER. The company declined to respond to detailed questions sent by Inside Climate News, citing its ongoing lawsuit with Chambers, said Alisa Rhyno, a spokeswoman for the company. Chaos broke out, as flames erupted from one tank and Chambers co-workers were unsure if he was alive inside the other one. Smoke billows from a fire following an explosion caused by a crash between a train and an 18-wheeler near Cameron, Texas, on Feb. 23, 2021. It is now common for additives to comprise up to 20 percent of stored asphalt or No. Across the street, at the U.S. Polyco plant, Patel saw smoke. In that incident, more than 60 people were sent for medical evaluation following the blast. Six people were hospitalized after a home in a Dallas suburb was leveled by an explosion Monday afternoon, fire rescue officials said. LONDON (AP) The death toll in an explosion and fire at an apartment building on the English Channel Island of Jersey has risen from five to seven, police said Tuesday. More such explosions have probably gone unreported, said Kirsten Rosselot, a chemical engineer and the owner of Process Profiles, an environmental consulting firm, who has studied this type of tank. Whats more, even a small amount of a lower flash point additive could affect the point of ignition of the substance its added to. On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be seen from 30 miles away. Even after it exploded, the asphalt tank was on fire for at least 3 hours, putting out thick, dark, toxic smoke into the community.. A shelter-in-place order was also issued, affecting around 5,000 people in the area. The Veracruz state civil defense office said most of the people injured in the explosion Tuesday in the town of Agua Dulce suffered first-degree burns. A car further down the train filled with phosphoric acid solution was unhooked and moved to safety before it could be ignited by the burning fuel cars, and a specialized fire crew sent from BNSF arrived with heavy equipment to extinguish the blaze. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. local time, according to a statement from ExxonMobil. He said that so far, there appeared to be no adverse impact due to the blaze. a 2018 explosion at an oil refinery in Superior. All of the sudden I heard what I thought was my sliding glass door breaking, one neighbor told KTVT. According to the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management, the incident happened in an isolated area in a field. He said that "for now" there were no indications that nearby residents would need to evacuate the area or shelter-in-place. ET). As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. ", Download theNBC News appfor breaking news and politics. (AP) Twelve people were injured, two of them critically, in an explosion and fire at a Maryland apartment building Wednesday and the residents of one unit have not been accounted for, a fire official said. Harley said she was personally concerned about the potential impact incidents like this one and the fire in 2019 could potentially have on air quality. Almost instantly, the tank he was standing on exploded. "There is no risk to the surrounding community. Martinez said she too had concerns about the air quality, but said she was not worried about continuing to live near the plant following the incident. The noise caused a flurry of reaction on social media,with one person questioningif it was a sonic boom from military aircraft. BAGHDAD (AP) A heating gas tank exploded in a residential complex in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing six people, Iraqi Kurdish officials said. 6 fuel oil despite temperatures never reaching the flash point. Four people were inside the two-story home when it was heavily damaged by Tuesday's explosion in the city of Princeton, leaving two people hospitalized with burns while a third person complained of back pain, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and State Fire Marshal said. The bulletin included several key lessons from those accidents, including avoiding the work if possible, monitoring the atmosphere for gas and identifying any potential hazards prior to starting work. In 2012, she produced the online interactive A Perfect Terrorist: David Coleman Headleys Web of Betrayal, which won an Overseas Press Club of America award. There was a pipeline explosion today in Fort Bend County, Texas, and flame could be seen from 30 miles away. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Though there were workers at the plant at the time, no one was injured. An asphalt tank at a plant owned by Rason Asphalt exploded in the early afternoon, causing a loud blast that rattled nearby homes. 6 fuel oilexploded when a worker opened a hatch, allowing oxygen to enter the tank. "Plano Fire-Rescue is working diligently to determine the cause of the blast. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. After the explosion in Ennis, Tank #17 was left damaged beyond repair and in need of removal. The impact sent debris flying through the air as frightened homeowners scrambled for cover. The cause of the fire was found to be a leaking natural gas line. The explosion, which was captured on video, launched wooden boards, window glass, insulation and other debris at least 100 feet into the air in Evansville, the Evansville Courier & Press reported. BERLIN (AP) A ship chartered by the operator of the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline has arrived at the site of last month's explosions under the Baltic Sea to survey the damage, the company said Thursday. 6 fuel oil. She joined InsideClimate in the fall of 2013, after helping produce documentaries and interactives for the PBS show Frontline since 2010 with 2over10 Media. ", Tim Fitzsimons is a reporter for NBC News. But additives are not necessary for a pyrophoric explosion to occur. An Explosion in Texas Shows the Hidden Dangers of Tanks Holding Heavy Fuels - Inside Climate News A tank used to emulsify asphalt caught fire and exploded early In court records, he is quoted saying that only skin was keeping his foot attached to his leg. 6 fuel oil has a lower flash pointcompanies list it between 140F and 200Fand is stored around 130F.