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Fertilizer plant explosions in Texas have historically been catastrophic due to the presence of hazardous chemicals like ammonium nitrate (AN). Since ammonium nitrate’s explosiveness was the focus of your previous question, I’ll address recent fertilizer plant explosions in Texas, emphasizing incidents involving AN or similar chemicals, and incorporate relevant details from the provided search results. “Recent” is interpreted as post-2000, with a focus on the most significant and well-documented events. The primary incident that stands out is the West Fertilizer Company explosion in 2013, as no other major fertilizer plant explosions in Texas since then have been widely reported in the provided sources or general knowledge.
West Fertilizer Company Explosion (April 17, 2013)
Location: West, Texas, a small town 18 miles north of Waco, population ~2,800.
Overview: A fire at the West Fertilizer Company, a storage and distribution facility, triggered the detonation of ~30–50 tons of fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate (FGAN), causing one of the deadliest industrial explosions in Texas history. The blast killed 15 people (12 first responders, 3 civilians), injured over 260, and damaged or destroyed more than 150 buildings, including homes, schools, and a nursing home.
Details:
Cause: The fire’s origin remains disputed. In 2016, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) concluded it was intentionally set (arson), based on 400 interviews and evidence analysis, offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. No suspects have been identified, and the investigation remains open. However, this arson finding is contested by some experts, who argue it’s based on the absence of other identifiable causes (e.g., electrical faults, equipment failure) rather than definitive evidence.
Explosion Mechanics: The fire, reported at ~7:30 p.m., heated the stored AN, leading to detonation at 7:51 p.m. The blast had a force equivalent to ~12.5–30,000 pounds of TNT, registering as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake, and left a crater 93 feet wide and 10–12 feet deep. The AN was stored in a combustible wooden building without sprinklers, exacerbating the risk.
Chemical Context: The plant stored 40–60 tons of FGAN (not mixed with fuel oil, unlike ANFO), far exceeding the 400-pound threshold requiring Department of Homeland Security notification, which the company failed to report. It also held 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, but investigators ruled out ammonia as a contributor to the explosion.
and the answer continueth ad nauseum ... *s*
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