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Explosion That Killed 15 at Texas Fertilizer Plant Is Ruled Intentional Fire That Left 15 Dead at Texas Fertilizer Plant Is Ruled Intentional
(about 5 hours later)
HOUSTON — The fire that set off one of the worst industrial disasters in Texas history — the deadly explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Tex., in 2013 — was intentionally set, federal officials announced on Wednesday. HOUSTON — The fire that set off one of the worst industrial disasters in Texas history — the deadly explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Tex., that killed 15 people in 2013 — was intentionally set, federal officials said on Wednesday.
The announcement by investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives came three years after the explosion at the West Fertilizer Company plant on April 17, 2013. In the years since, law enforcement officials had never revealed a cause. They had previously said three possibilities were under consideration, including faulty electrical wiring, a short-circuit in an electrical golf cart and an intentional act of arson. The announcement by investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives came three years after the explosion at the West Fertilizer Company plant on April 17, 2013. In the years since, law enforcement officials had never revealed a cause. They had previously said three possibilities were under consideration: faulty electrical wiring, a short-circuit in an electric golf cart or arson.
On Wednesday, federal officials said the fire that preceded the blast that day had been “incendiary,” or intentionally set. All accidental and natural fire scenarios were tested and eliminated, officials said. On Wednesday, federal officials said the fire that preceded the blast that day had been “incendiary,” or intentionally set. All accidental and natural fire possibilities were tested and eliminated, officials said.
Their determination was part of an investigation that included more than 400 interviews, a review of witness photos and videos as well as scientific testing at the agency’s fire research lab in Maryland. They announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. “We are pursuing this as a criminal act,” said Robert W. Elder, the special agent in charge of the Houston field division of the A.T.F.
In a rural town 20 miles north of Waco, the explosion in West left a crater 93 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Fifteen people were killed — 10 of whom were volunteer firefighters and emergency responders — and more than 260 others were injured. Of the town’s 700 homes, about 350 were affected by the explosion, including 193 that were destroyed or severely damaged. Mr. Elder acknowledged the length of time since the explosion but described the investigation as highly complex. “It required extensive scientific testing to determine the cause of this,” he said. “We took our time because we knew we had to get this right. For a fire of this size, I wouldn’t say this is unreasonable.”
Three schools, a nursing home and a 50-unit apartment complex were destroyed or heavily damaged, not only from the fires that ignited after the explosion, but also from the force of a blast that registered as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake. The investigation, he said, included more than 400 interviews, a review of photos and videos, and scientific testing at the agency’s fire research lab in Maryland. He said he could not discuss the specifics of the evidence, citing the continuing investigation. Asked if there were suspects or people of interest, he said, “I would say that we’re heading in the right direction.”
The Chemical Safety Board, the federal agency that investigates chemical disasters, called it one of the most destructive episodes the agency had ever investigated. Officials announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
Weeks after the explosion, a paramedic who responded to the blast was arrested on a charge of possessing the components of a pipe bomb. The medic, Bryce A. Reed, was never identified as a suspect in the blast and his lawyer at the time denied Mr. Reed had any involvement. In December 2013, Mr. Reed was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty in the pipe bomb case.
The explosion left a crater 93 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Ten of the 15 people killed were volunteer firefighters and other emergency workers; more than 260 others were injured. Of the town’s 700 homes, about 350 were affected, including 193 that were destroyed or severely damaged. Three schools, a nursing home and a 50-unit apartment complex were destroyed or heavily damaged.
Marty Crawford, who at the time was the superintendent of the West Independent School District, said he was not surprised by the announcement.
“Even back in 2013, they always left the door open,” said Mr. Crawford, who is now the superintendent in Tyler, Tex. “It does make for a reliving of all of that. It’s a sad deal if it is true.”
The type of agricultural chemical that set off the explosion — ammonium nitrate — was sold at the plant to farmers for use as a fertilizer. In normal storage conditions, ammonium nitrate is difficult to ignite, but intense heat and other unusual conditions can cause it to detonate. It was used by Timothy J. McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
The Chemical Safety Board, the federal agency that investigates chemical disasters, called the explosion and its aftermath one of the most destructive episodes it had ever investigated. Agency officials described it as a preventable disaster, noting a lack of oversight and regulations and shortcomings in how the company handled the fertilizer. In addition, they found that the proximity of homes and schools to the plant contributed to the scale of the disaster. The nearest cluster of houses was about 370 feet from the plant’s property line and most of those injured were within 1,500 feet of the blast.
Two lawyers representing the City of West and others in a lawsuit against the owner of the plant and the companies that made or sold fertilizer to the plant suggested that the new focus of the investigation did not alter their case.
“The storage of the ammonium nitrate that exploded was not part of the A.T.F. investigation,” the lawyers, Steve Harrison and Zona Jones, said in a statement. “The A.T.F. did not investigate what exploded, why it exploded or who knew that it could explode. All of that is the subject of civil litigation to be heard” by a jury in McLennan County, where West is located.