Images from West, Texas

[Bill Ashton]

I am glad the president mentioned this situation last night at the end of his speech about Boston. These poor people must have felt alone and abandoned.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -Waco.html

Strangely I first heard about this disaster over the BBC also, but missed where...took another hour or so to find out. And I thought it was in Waco, but West Texas was confusing me...thought the Brits had got it wrong...nope its West, Texas.

Have not read enough to find out if it was an anhydrous ammonia explosion (a flammable gas that is not regulated as a flammable gas as a concession to the farm lobby) or ammonium nitrate fertilizer (re 1st World Trade Center and Oklahoma City, Texas City).

While I see remains of tanks that might indicate anhydrous ammonia on the site, I will bet that they were making ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate is the main part of ANFO, a commercial blasting agent. When brought to the proper conditions it will detonate (as opposed to explode)...a fine line, but characterized by a shock wave and a crater left afterwards...you will note the crater left at the facility in the images.

Harry, has a fund been set up for this town?

 

[twocorgis]

What amazed me most about all this was the proximity of the plant to the nursing home and the High School. Seems like dubious urban planning to me, and it's a good thing school wasn't in session when the blast happened. :shock:

 

[Ridgemont]

Yes, West is 20 miles north of Waco. While small, Waco is the main hub for the area so it usually gets the credit for surrounding events. One famous example is the disaster at the Branch Davidian complex which was near Waco.

West is a small Czech community, one of many in Texas. I knew a few people from there when I went to college in Waco.

Terrible events with city planning reminiscent of small Texas towns.

 

[West R Lee]

The beautiful Mrs. West happens to be of Czech and Polish heritage, and since she was a litle girl, her parents have traveled to West for the cuisine and the atmosphere. We've stopped in West many times for the kolaches and sausage that West is famous for. It's a neat little town. We hope and pray that the town's people of West will recover quickly, but have no doubt that they will do just that, with their heritage and being Texans.

West

 

[gilded]

I am glad the president mentioned this situation last night at the end of his speech about Boston. These poor people must have felt alone and abandoned.

Me, too!


Harry, has a fund been set up for this town?

I'll check on a fund and get back to you. Thanks for your inquiry. HH

 

[West R Lee]

Just a little about the town.

http://www.westfest.com/

West

 

[killdeer43]

I lost a nephew in a somewhat similar industrial explosion in Houston a few years ago. The impacts were so far reaching for my brother's family as well as the families of the other seven victims that I can only imagine the scale of grief related to this most recent event.

I guess we don't realize the hazards that we live/work in and around until something like this happens.

Sending my best for healing,
Joe

 

[walrus]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of West, too. What a crazy week this has been...

walrus

 

[killdeer43]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of West, too. What a crazy week this has been...

walrus

Amen to that!

Joe

 

[SFIV1967]

Thanks for posting that link Bill! Those are shocking pictures indeed. I had not seen the aftermath yet.
Almost surreal in that context is this below picture:

Ralf

 

[FNG]

I think they made anhydrous ammonia at that plant. I glanced at an article in the WSJ that said explosions are rare since the ignition temps for the product are really high. I guess the fire must have brought some storage tanks to rupture pressure, and when they ruptured, the vapors exploded. Did anyone see the video of the explosion? Not exactly sure of the specifics, but what a disaster.

Boom...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN6UCizbJKY

 

[West R Lee]

I think they made anhydrous ammonia at that plant. I glanced at an article in the WSJ that said explosions are rare since the ignition temps for the product are really high. I guess the fire must have brought some storage tanks to rupture pressure, and when they ruptured, the vapors exploded. Did anyone see the video of the explosion? Not exactly sure of the specifics, but what a disaster.

Boom...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN6UCizbJKY

Similar to what's referred to in the firefighting world as a BLEVE......boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. We actually had a fire at at work once in which the relief valve was overwhelmed by the expanding vapor. That tank, as some are, was insulated with metal straps wrapped around the tank to hold the insulation in place. When we saw the straps begiin to snap, and when the relief valve was singing, we knew it was time to go. Not much you can do in a case like that. The tank did indeed explode and pieces were found 1/2 mile away.

I'll bet ol' Bill Ashton knows a bit about BLEVEs.

West

 

[Bill Ashton]

You mean Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosions? :wink:

Frankly, other than academically, I am not familiar with them...which is a good thing, for if I was I probably would not be writing this!

Ammonia is a flammable liquid everywhere except the United States, as it is used extensively as a fertilizer and transporting it as a flammable liquid would be "too expensive." So someone figured out that due to its flammable range (per cent in air that can ignite), it is different than all the other common flammable liquids we know. By definition in the United States, flammable liquids (with the exception of ammonia) are regulated by the DOT. A fixed facility would have no interaction with the DOT, and of course its not a flammable liquid right? (for licensing and zoning and planning purposes).

Sad, very sad.

 

[bluesypicky]

Sad, very sad.

Yep.

 

[West R Lee]

You mean Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosions? :wink:

Frankly, other than academically, I am not familiar with them...which is a good thing, for if I was I probably would not be writing this!

Ammonia is a flammable liquid everywhere except the United States, as it is used extensively as a fertilizer and transporting it as a flammable liquid would be "too expensive." So someone figured out that due to its flammable range (per cent in air that can ignite), it is different than all the other common flammable liquids we know. By definition in the United States, flammable liquids (with the exception of ammonia) are regulated by the DOT. A fixed facility would have no interaction with the DOT, and of course its not a flammable liquid right? (for licensing and zoning and planning purposes).

Sad, very sad.

We conduct training where I work Bill. Having been a fireman in a chemical plant, and having the best training ground this side of Texas A&M university, we trained on BLEVEs from time to time. The key is to recognize the sign of an impending BLEVE. Not recognizing those signs is often a deadly mistake.

We went to a Rangers vs. Seattle game last night, and during the game, it was mentioned that in West, much like Jarrell after the tornado, they've had to turn away help as so many people had volunteered their services. There were also a few large donation centers there at the game, and I'm happy to say that they seemed to have been inundated with donations.

It gives me faith in humanity to see outpouring like this after tragedies like Boston and West.

West

 

[killdeer43]

It gives me faith in humanity to see outpouring like this after tragedies like Boston and West.

+1

*I'll pass on commenting about the Mariners. 8)

Joe

 

[West R Lee]

It gives me faith in humanity to see outpouring like this after tragedies like Boston and West.

+1

*I'll pass on commenting about the Mariners. 8)

Joe

They're struggling now Joe, but they've got some gamers. That Seager kid is one tough out!

West

 

[killdeer43]

Well, they were 2-0 for a while, with only 160 games left in the season, but it's still early. :wink:

Batter up,
Joe

 

[adorshki]

What amazed me most about all this was the proximity of the plant to the nursing home and the High School. Seems like dubious urban planning to me, and it's a good thing school wasn't in session when the blast happened. :shock:

NO snarkiness intended, but do we know which one(s) were there first?
Actually it probably was bad planning either way but I'd be willing to lay odds the fertilizer plant was there first.

 

[geoguy]

Terribly sad story.

I wondered if the firefighters spraying water inadvertently made a bad situation worse, but haven't heard anyone knowledgeable comment on that topic. The text at the top of this link's page 2 implies that water shouldn't be applied directly to anhydrous ammonia: http://svasd.com/images/1pm_Williams.pdf