Police chief: Smoke from Texas chemical plant fire not toxic
A Houston-area chemical plant that lost power after Harvey engulfed the area in floods was rocked by fires and two explosions early Thursday, but local authorities said the resulting smoke presented 鈥渘o danger to the community at all.鈥�
Arkema Inc. said in a statement on its website that the Harris County Emergency Operations Center reported two explosions and black smoke coming from the plant in Crosby, about 25 miles northeast of Houston, at about 2 a.m.
At a news conference Thursday, Assistant Harris County Fire Chief Bob Rayall said different grades of organic peroxides in a semi-trailer caught fire not long after midnight. Rayall said the fire emitted a 30- to 40-foot flames and black smoke.
Rayall did not refer to any blasts, but Harris County Fire Marshal spokeswoman Rachel Moreno said there had been 鈥渟mall explosions.鈥�
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says some deputies suffered irritated eyes from the smoke but insisted it wasn鈥檛 dangerous.
鈥淚t is not anything toxic,鈥� Gonzalez said. 鈥淚t is not anything that we feel is a danger to the community at all.鈥�
At a separate news conference in Washington, D.C., FEMA administrator Brock Long told reporters that 鈥渂y all means, the plume is incredibly dangerous.鈥�
A plant spokeswoman said late Wednesday that the flooded facility had lost power and backup generators due to the flooding, leaving it without refrigeration for chemicals that become volatile as the temperature rises.
Gonzalez said the fire would burn itself out. Rayall said the fire service was not monitoring the fire — 鈥渢hat鈥檚 industry鈥檚 responsibility鈥� — and that the company hired a contractor to do aerial monitoring of the smoke to see which direction it was going.
An AP photographer at a roadblock about 2 miles from the scene could see no sign of a blaze in the direction of the chemical plant as the sun rose Thursday morning.
Arkema had warned that a fire was going to happen, saying it was inevitable because of the loss of power in the floods.
鈥淭he fire will happen. It will resemble a gasoline fire. It will be explosive and intense in nature,鈥� spokeswoman Janet Smith told The Associated Press late Wednesday.
There was 鈥渘o way to prevent鈥� the explosion, chief executive Rich Rowe said earlier Wednesday.
Arkema manufactures organic peroxides, a family of compounds used for making a variety of products including pharmaceuticals and construction materials.