By GARY REAVES - WFAA-TV - Wednesday, August 6, 2008
MCKINNEY — Almost three months after an explosion destroyed three McKinney homes and just nine days after Nancy Foster died from burns she endured in the blast, the Texas Railroad Commission announced they discovered numerous violations made by the gas line company and its contractor.
During their three-month probe, the commission said they discovered six rule violations made by Atmos and two more violations by its contractor, M. J. Sheridan.
The Foster family's lawyer, Frank Branson, said they are outraged.
"They ignored the rules before the explosion," he said. "They ignored the rules that caused the explosion and they ignored the rules on how you investigate and record the data."
The tragedy started when the gas company's approved contractor, M J Sheridan, punctured a three-inch gas line with a boring machine. Rules require that when they get within 12 inches of the line, they shut down the machine and dig by hand.
From there, the report stated the mistakes multiplied.
While the line was cut at 4:30 p.m., no one called 911 until 5:38 p.m., which was after the explosions began. In that crucial hour, the on-scene inspector failed to test sewer lines for gas and failed to order evacuations. Afterwards, Atmos failed to give drug and alcohol tests to the work crew.
The Foster family said they are suing for justice and answers.
"We supports our employees who we believe took appropriate actions at the time of the incident," read a statement released by Atmos. "We also have high standards for our contractors ... We continue to review our practices and protocols."
Read more on WFAA
The report is preliminary and Atmos and the contractor have 30 days to respond.
Showing posts with label explosion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label explosion. Show all posts
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
I-10 Well Explosion closes traffic into Baton Rouge
Note: We are posting articles on ABOUT AIR AND WATER about this Louisiana well explosion because it illustrates what can occur in Texas. During TxDOT Trans Texas Corridor public meetings last summer Dale Henry testified that running pipelines too near major transportation corridors is a bad idea. One of the leading oil/gas field safety experts in the world, Dale Henry recognized the dangers and warned Texas Legislators and bureaucrats that roadways, rail lines and pipelines and gas/oil wells should be separated as much as possible. Transportation is snarled for hundreds of miles now in Louisiana. The photos and reports are dramatic and costly illustrations of the validity of Mr. Henry's insight.
I-10 closed until December;
DNR to review company's rig permit after well blowout
By Mike Hasten - Lafayette Daily Advertiser - Nov. 20, 2007
BATON ROUGE - Interstate 10 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge will remain closed until Dec. 4 while crews battle a natural gas well fire that erupted Thursday less than a football field away from the roadway.
Dan Eby of Crudd Well Control, which has been hired to extinguish the fire at the Bridas Energy USA Inc. well site, said Dec. 4 is "not an ultra-optimistic estimate and it is not an ultra-pessimistic estimate" of when the work will be finished and the highway can reopen. "It is a realistic estimate" and he would be surprised if it took longer
But Eby cautioned, "you never know what you're going to get into" when fighting a well fire.
State Police Commander Colonel Stanley Griffin and Department of Transporta-tion and Development Secretary Johnny Bradberry said eastbound I-10 traffic will continue to be routed up I-49 at Lafayette on to U.S. 190 into Baton Rouge and I-10 westbound will be routed through Baton Rouge to LA 415 west of Port Allen, where it will link to U.S. 190 toward Opelousas.
He said he has contacted major trucking lines and advised them to reroute traffic to Interstate 20 across Louisiana until the problem is cleared. He also advised motorist to try to find alternate routes, like U.S. 90 if they are headed to New Orleans from Lafayette.
The additional traffic at times slows U.S. 190 between Opelousas and Baton Rouge to a crawl, Bradberry said, so "If you can think of another way without traveling over 190, do it."
The well, located about two miles west of the Ramah/Maringoin exit on the Atchafalaya Basin floodway side, blew out Thursday while the company was attempting to drill a second shaft after the original one ran into trouble.
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris Frink said Monday that the agency is investigating what went wrong on the well and at the same time is reviewing the soundness of its policy that allowed a well to be drilled so close to a major highway.
"We are still gathering all the facts," Frink said in an interview. "Our first priority is public safety, to get that thing capped. When the investigation is complete and we have all the facts, we will look again at our policies with an eye n maintaining public safety."
A primary factor in that review, he said, is the current policy that allows a well to be drilled near a roadway with the only stipulation that it be far enough away that if the drilling derrick falls, it will not block the road.
The Bridas well, he said, "was within our policies." It's 90 yards from the elevated westbound lanes of I-10.
Bradberry said Gov. Kathleen Blanco has ordered an immediate review and possible change of that policy.
Bridas Energy USA Inc., based in Longview, Texas, "has got a good safety record with us," Frink said.
Since 1998, the company has received permits to drill 49 wells in six fields in Caddo and DeSoto parishes. This is its first one in south Louisiana.
State Sen. Robert Adley of Benton, who once was in the gas well drilling business, said "Caddo and DeSoto are a whole lot different than what they're drilling down there" because the pressure is much greater in south Louisiana. "There must be an incredible amount of pressure."
Adley questions why the well blew out and is still going strong.
"With the technology we have today, they should have been able to handle it," he said. "I'm just astounded they haven't been able to get control of it."
Don Briggs, executive director of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, said all drilling rigs have blowout preventers and "obviously, something didn't work."
Briggs said it's standard operation when a well is drilled to pump heavy drilling mud into the hole to hold back the pressure. The higher the pressure, the more mud is needed. If the pressure builds up faster than mud can be pumped in, "that's why you have blowout preventers. When you have a blowout, something had to have gone wrong."
Briggs said, using an expression in the business, "they got their mud cut and it came to see 'em. I'm sure those guys hate seeing their reservoir drained."
Blowouts are not supposed to be commonplace, he said, but they're common enough to keep a number of blowout specialists and well firefighters in business.
Rodney Mallett, communications director for the state Department of Environmental Quality, said inspectors with air and water monitors have been on-site since Thursday and have detected "not a thing" that would harm the environment. "It's pretty much a clean-burning gas" and so far, no distillates have been detected that would harm the environment.
DEQ has constructed retaining walls around the well site to collect the massive amount of water expected to be sprayed on the fire to knock it out, Mallett said. It's possible the water could contain material that would affect the Atchafalaya Basin, so it will be collected and removed from the site.
Briggs said he received a report that crews at the well have dragged off bags of chemicals that he termed "caustic" and removed melted metal structures from the well area in anticipation of the high-powered water spray.
Bradberry said DOTD inspectors have found no damage to I-10 and will be safe to use as soon as the fire is extinguished and no gas is escaping. Until then, he said, it is not safe for traffic.
I-10 closed until December;
DNR to review company's rig permit after well blowout
By Mike Hasten - Lafayette Daily Advertiser - Nov. 20, 2007
BATON ROUGE - Interstate 10 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge will remain closed until Dec. 4 while crews battle a natural gas well fire that erupted Thursday less than a football field away from the roadway.
Dan Eby of Crudd Well Control, which has been hired to extinguish the fire at the Bridas Energy USA Inc. well site, said Dec. 4 is "not an ultra-optimistic estimate and it is not an ultra-pessimistic estimate" of when the work will be finished and the highway can reopen. "It is a realistic estimate" and he would be surprised if it took longer
But Eby cautioned, "you never know what you're going to get into" when fighting a well fire.
State Police Commander Colonel Stanley Griffin and Department of Transporta-tion and Development Secretary Johnny Bradberry said eastbound I-10 traffic will continue to be routed up I-49 at Lafayette on to U.S. 190 into Baton Rouge and I-10 westbound will be routed through Baton Rouge to LA 415 west of Port Allen, where it will link to U.S. 190 toward Opelousas.
He said he has contacted major trucking lines and advised them to reroute traffic to Interstate 20 across Louisiana until the problem is cleared. He also advised motorist to try to find alternate routes, like U.S. 90 if they are headed to New Orleans from Lafayette.
The additional traffic at times slows U.S. 190 between Opelousas and Baton Rouge to a crawl, Bradberry said, so "If you can think of another way without traveling over 190, do it."
The well, located about two miles west of the Ramah/Maringoin exit on the Atchafalaya Basin floodway side, blew out Thursday while the company was attempting to drill a second shaft after the original one ran into trouble.
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris Frink said Monday that the agency is investigating what went wrong on the well and at the same time is reviewing the soundness of its policy that allowed a well to be drilled so close to a major highway.
"We are still gathering all the facts," Frink said in an interview. "Our first priority is public safety, to get that thing capped. When the investigation is complete and we have all the facts, we will look again at our policies with an eye n maintaining public safety."
A primary factor in that review, he said, is the current policy that allows a well to be drilled near a roadway with the only stipulation that it be far enough away that if the drilling derrick falls, it will not block the road.
The Bridas well, he said, "was within our policies." It's 90 yards from the elevated westbound lanes of I-10.
Bradberry said Gov. Kathleen Blanco has ordered an immediate review and possible change of that policy.
Bridas Energy USA Inc., based in Longview, Texas, "has got a good safety record with us," Frink said.
Since 1998, the company has received permits to drill 49 wells in six fields in Caddo and DeSoto parishes. This is its first one in south Louisiana.
State Sen. Robert Adley of Benton, who once was in the gas well drilling business, said "Caddo and DeSoto are a whole lot different than what they're drilling down there" because the pressure is much greater in south Louisiana. "There must be an incredible amount of pressure."
Adley questions why the well blew out and is still going strong.
"With the technology we have today, they should have been able to handle it," he said. "I'm just astounded they haven't been able to get control of it."
Don Briggs, executive director of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, said all drilling rigs have blowout preventers and "obviously, something didn't work."
Briggs said it's standard operation when a well is drilled to pump heavy drilling mud into the hole to hold back the pressure. The higher the pressure, the more mud is needed. If the pressure builds up faster than mud can be pumped in, "that's why you have blowout preventers. When you have a blowout, something had to have gone wrong."
Briggs said, using an expression in the business, "they got their mud cut and it came to see 'em. I'm sure those guys hate seeing their reservoir drained."
Blowouts are not supposed to be commonplace, he said, but they're common enough to keep a number of blowout specialists and well firefighters in business.
Rodney Mallett, communications director for the state Department of Environmental Quality, said inspectors with air and water monitors have been on-site since Thursday and have detected "not a thing" that would harm the environment. "It's pretty much a clean-burning gas" and so far, no distillates have been detected that would harm the environment.
DEQ has constructed retaining walls around the well site to collect the massive amount of water expected to be sprayed on the fire to knock it out, Mallett said. It's possible the water could contain material that would affect the Atchafalaya Basin, so it will be collected and removed from the site.
Briggs said he received a report that crews at the well have dragged off bags of chemicals that he termed "caustic" and removed melted metal structures from the well area in anticipation of the high-powered water spray.
Bradberry said DOTD inspectors have found no damage to I-10 and will be safe to use as soon as the fire is extinguished and no gas is escaping. Until then, he said, it is not safe for traffic.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Gas leak discrepancies spark concern - Atmos has thousands more identified gas leaks than it repairs
By BRETT SHIPP - WFAA-TV NEWS 8 INVESTIGATES - Oct. 26, 2007
Part IV
A top official from Atmos Energy is on the record saying that all natural gas leaks are serious and possibly deadly; but at the same time, Atmos Energy says the vast majority of their leaks can go months or longer without being repaired.
That policy has Cindy Graham of Richardson concerned. She described the experience of smelling leaking natural gas just outside of her home this summer.
"It was like walking into a wall of natural gas," she said. "It made me ill."
Graham said her immediate response was to call Atmos. When Atmos came out and found the leak next door, she said, they told her it would not be repaired because it was not a threat.
"He said he found the leak but it's just going up into the air, but that it was not going to harm anyone," she said.
Coral Watkins, of Wylie, said she and her neighbors were also told for years not to worry about gas they smelled in their older neighborhood.
"We had called and called and called about gas leaks, gas smells and bubbling everywhere and [Atmos said] there's nothing wrong," she said.
But one of those leaks turned deadly when gas found its way under the Wylie home of Benny and Martha Cryer, who were both killed when the gas exploded last October.
In the days following that explosion, Atmos discovered 24 active leaks within a few blocks in the same neighborhood. The leaks may have been something they knew already existed. Any one of which, according to one top Atmos official, who while being deposed recently for a lawsuit, said all leaks are dangerous.
"I believe anytime you have an escape of natural gas you have the potential of a serious situation that could cause serious damage or even death," said Scott Powell, Atmos Vice President.
What's the danger to North Texans? Atmos reported having more than 16,000 leaks in its North and Mid-Texas system in 2006. They said on any given day, they have roughly 6,700 active leaks.
According to Atmos, only five percent or their leaks, the really bad ones, are repaired immediately. Those are called grade one leaks. Grade two leaks, about 33 percent, are medium priority and get monitored monthly until they're repaired. Grade three and four leaks, about 61 percent, are low priority and may not get repaired for months.
Graham's fear is that right next door is one of those grade three or four leaks, which according to Atmos, is both potentially dangerous, yet not a threat to public safety.
"I don't know what these people are thinking," she said. "I don't know how they can come to your door and look you straight in the face and tell you it's not an issue when obviously it's an issue."
Read more on WFAA
Part IV
A top official from Atmos Energy is on the record saying that all natural gas leaks are serious and possibly deadly; but at the same time, Atmos Energy says the vast majority of their leaks can go months or longer without being repaired.
That policy has Cindy Graham of Richardson concerned. She described the experience of smelling leaking natural gas just outside of her home this summer.
"It was like walking into a wall of natural gas," she said. "It made me ill."
Graham said her immediate response was to call Atmos. When Atmos came out and found the leak next door, she said, they told her it would not be repaired because it was not a threat.
"He said he found the leak but it's just going up into the air, but that it was not going to harm anyone," she said.
Coral Watkins, of Wylie, said she and her neighbors were also told for years not to worry about gas they smelled in their older neighborhood.
"We had called and called and called about gas leaks, gas smells and bubbling everywhere and [Atmos said] there's nothing wrong," she said.
But one of those leaks turned deadly when gas found its way under the Wylie home of Benny and Martha Cryer, who were both killed when the gas exploded last October.
In the days following that explosion, Atmos discovered 24 active leaks within a few blocks in the same neighborhood. The leaks may have been something they knew already existed. Any one of which, according to one top Atmos official, who while being deposed recently for a lawsuit, said all leaks are dangerous.
"I believe anytime you have an escape of natural gas you have the potential of a serious situation that could cause serious damage or even death," said Scott Powell, Atmos Vice President.
What's the danger to North Texans? Atmos reported having more than 16,000 leaks in its North and Mid-Texas system in 2006. They said on any given day, they have roughly 6,700 active leaks.
According to Atmos, only five percent or their leaks, the really bad ones, are repaired immediately. Those are called grade one leaks. Grade two leaks, about 33 percent, are medium priority and get monitored monthly until they're repaired. Grade three and four leaks, about 61 percent, are low priority and may not get repaired for months.
Graham's fear is that right next door is one of those grade three or four leaks, which according to Atmos, is both potentially dangerous, yet not a threat to public safety.
"I don't know what these people are thinking," she said. "I don't know how they can come to your door and look you straight in the face and tell you it's not an issue when obviously it's an issue."
Read more on WFAA
Monday, October 15, 2007
Firefighters battle processing plant fire near Keene
By ELIZABETH CAMPBELL - Fort Worth Star Telegram - Oct. 15, 2007
A worker at a salt water injection plant near Keene was injured today when equipment ignited a blaze inside a large pit.
Keene Fire Chief Matt Gillin said the worker was taken to Parkland Hospital by air ambulance, but he didn't know the extent of his burns.
"When I arrived, it was a complete ball of fire," he said. "We were lucky it wasn't any worse."
When firefighters arrived at the Bridgeport Tank Trucks LTD plant at the U.S. Highway 67 bypass, workers said a gasoline pump used in the process of separating a mixture of oil, sand and gravel from the salt water backfired, which caused the pit to erupt in flames.
The blaze also destroyed a tanker truck and a service vehicle parked near the pit.
The plant takes salt water used to fracture gas wells and stores it in containment wells, Gillin said. Part of the process involves separating oil, sand and gravel from the water. The oil was pumped into the pit before being transferrred to storage tanks. The pit is 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep, he said.
Firefighters were concerned that the fire would spread to several tanks where heavy oil is stored. They kept water on the tanks to keep them cool.
Several departments responded including Keene, Cleburne, Liberty Chappel, Joshua and Blue Water Oaks.
The fire was out by 4 p.m.
Read more
Read coverage on WFAA Channel 8
A worker at a salt water injection plant near Keene was injured today when equipment ignited a blaze inside a large pit.
Keene Fire Chief Matt Gillin said the worker was taken to Parkland Hospital by air ambulance, but he didn't know the extent of his burns.
"When I arrived, it was a complete ball of fire," he said. "We were lucky it wasn't any worse."
When firefighters arrived at the Bridgeport Tank Trucks LTD plant at the U.S. Highway 67 bypass, workers said a gasoline pump used in the process of separating a mixture of oil, sand and gravel from the salt water backfired, which caused the pit to erupt in flames.
The blaze also destroyed a tanker truck and a service vehicle parked near the pit.
The plant takes salt water used to fracture gas wells and stores it in containment wells, Gillin said. Part of the process involves separating oil, sand and gravel from the water. The oil was pumped into the pit before being transferrred to storage tanks. The pit is 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep, he said.
Firefighters were concerned that the fire would spread to several tanks where heavy oil is stored. They kept water on the tanks to keep them cool.
Several departments responded including Keene, Cleburne, Liberty Chappel, Joshua and Blue Water Oaks.
The fire was out by 4 p.m.
Read more
Read coverage on WFAA Channel 8
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Explosions rock downtown Dallas - Major Freeways shut off for hours
Flames 'as high as Reunion Tower'
WFAA & Associated Press - From Staff and Wire Reports - Wednesday, July 25, 2007
See video on WFAANews8
DALLAS — At least three people were injured when a series of large explosions at a gas facility showered nearby highways and buildings with flaming debris near downtown Wednesday.
A half-mile area surrounding the blasts was evacuated. Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Lavender said the explosion appears to have been an accident.
He said two employees at Southwest Industrial Gases in the 500 block of Industrial Blvd. were filling canisters with acetylene using a series of connecting tubes in what is known as “pig-tailing.”
A connection malfunctioned at around 9:30 a.m., which apparently created enough pressure for one of the canisters to ignite.
The employees immediately began using a hose to spray down the other tanks—not to extinguish the fire, but to cool the tanks, Lt. Lavender said. But the canisters exploded in a chain reaction, burning the two men on their upper bodies.
Randal Bibb, 50, and Daniel McMurry, 56, were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. McMurry, the plant's co-owner and manager, was reported in fair condition late Wednesday afternoon. Bibb was said to be in serious condition.
The third injured person was a truck driver, who hurt his back as he jumped out of his cab. Lt. Lavender said all three men managed to talk to authorities about what happened.
The fire was considered under control but not extinguished as of Wednesday afternoon. Highways and streets in the immediate vicinity were expected to be closed until around 7 p.m.—after what's sure to be a chaotic rush hour.
Officials said there was no indication that the explosions had any link to terrorism. "It's so premature at this point; we don't know," said Dallas police Deputy Chief Vincent Golbeck. "We do have federal agents at the scene to help us with that evaluation."
A one-half mile area surrounding the blast site remained off-limits at noon, and emergency officials were wary about moving in too close to the source of the explosion.
"Until we think it's safe, we will not send our firefighters into the building," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Eddie Burns. "We're in a defensive operation.
Around seven workers were believed to be on duty at the time of the blast.
Waco Mayor Virginia Dupuy, who is part-owner of Southwest Industrial Gases, said she had been told by another partner in the facility that all employees were able to evacuate safely. "Something like this just shakes you to your roots," Dupuy said in a telephone interview, her voice trembling.
WFAA-TV reporter Chris Heinbaugh was hit on the head by a projectile. "Pebble-sized ash is falling all around," he said. Debris can be seen more than 200 yards from the site of the blast.
"I was going south on I-35. The first thing I saw was a huge fire ball," said witness Kathy Williams. "I saw flames as high as the train overpass. It seemed as if the flames were as high as Reunion Tower."
Janiquta Bell was headed home after taking her husband at work. "All of a sudden the building started blowing up," she said.
"I had to just leave the car and run; grab the baby and run," said Bell, who is six months pregnant. "I made it out okay."
Now it's a waiting game. "My car is still on the freeway," Bell said. "They don't know when I'm going to be able to get my car off the freeway."
Video footage showed charred, smoldering metal wreckage at the site. There were numerous small fires burning in the area caused by flaming debris, including about a dozen cars in a nearby parking lot and some grassy areas of a highway median.
"I thought it was artillery. It was just coming just boom, boom, boom," said witness Tony Love, a former Army soldier.
Dallas police Sgt. Gil Cerda said officers were controlling traffic around the area.
Traffic was closed at one of the state's busiest highway intersections, Interstates 30 and 35, and was being rerouted through city streets, a Texas Department of Transportation spokesman said.
DART rail service was shut down in the area, and the transit agency also rerouted buses that normally travel near the blast site.
Vanessa O'Brien said she was standing in a parking lot a few blocks away when she felt at least 20 vibrations from the explosion.
"We felt the whole building move and the windows rattle," she said.
Despite hazy skies, a black column of smoke was visible from at least 10 miles.
The Environmental Protection Agency's emergency responders were on the way to the scene, said Dave Bary, a spokesman for the agency's regional office. He said they will assist in monitoring the air, but had no information yet.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals closed one of its offices a few blocks away. Staffers and animals were moved to another side of the building and animals recovering from surgery were taken to another facility, the group said in statement.
Dallas County's main jail and criminal courts building were at the edge of the evacuation zone but continued to operate, said Deputy Michael Ortiz of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.
Ortiz said that sheriff's officers were first on the scene to evacuate the area. Otherwise, he said the only effect the explosions at the county justice complex was the rush to the windows to view the spectacle.
"We are prepared to go into any emergency mode that's needed, but we feel pretty secure here in the jail," Ortiz said.
Because of network congestion, Sprint asked customers to avoid using their wireless phones unless there is an emergency. Sprint suggested using text messaging to relay routine messages, since that technique is a much more efficient use of the cellular spectrum.
The explosions caused a mini-stir among bailiffs at the Holy Foundation terror financing trial. Although the explosions were not audible inside the windowless 15th floor courtroom at the Earle Cabell federal building, U.S . marshals swapped information on the blasts via walkie talkies at a break in the proceedings just after 10 a.m.
Their basic message to each other was that the explosions were not connectged to the trial, which has building security personnel already on edge because of the nature of the subect matter.
Cars parked across the street were dusted with ash and small pieces of debris.
Seventy-five firefighters with 20 pieces of equipment were attempting to bring the situation under control.
A Love Field spokesperson said the explosions had no impact on flights to the Dallas airport.
Tuesday morning’s fire is the second major industrial blaze in as many months immediately south of Interstate 30 along Dallas’ Trinity River corridor. Dallas City Council member Steve Salazar said he wants the council to review safety in that area at an upcoming meeting.
"Certainly, this is something we should look at," Salazar said. "Given the fact that there haven’t been any fatalities, it seems like our fire department and emergency responders did a great job. But we need to let the fire department look at why this is occurring there in that area.”
WFAA-TV, DallasNews.com and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
ROADWAYS CLOSED:
4:22 p.m. Due to this morning's explosion, the Dallas Emergency Operations Center estimates some downtown freeways and roads will remain closed until approximately 7 p.m. this evening while clean-up and investigation continues. The City of Dallas is working with the Texas Department of Transportation to determine when the area around the roadways is safe to open up for vehicular traffic.
Major Highway Closures:
I-35 Southbound at Woodall Rogers
I-35 Northbound at 8th Street
I-30 Eastbound at Loop 12/Walton Walker in Irving
Westbound I-30 at RL Thornton (forced to go South)
Westbound I-30 at Hampton
Road Closures:
Southbound Stemmons before Woodall Rogers
Westbound Woodall Rogers at Southbound I-35
Reunion Blvd at I-35
Eastbound I-30 at Sylvan
Continental at Stemmons
Industrial at Continental
See video on WFAANews8
DALLAS — At least three people were injured when a series of large explosions at a gas facility showered nearby highways and buildings with flaming debris near downtown Wednesday.
A half-mile area surrounding the blasts was evacuated. Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Lavender said the explosion appears to have been an accident.
He said two employees at Southwest Industrial Gases in the 500 block of Industrial Blvd. were filling canisters with acetylene using a series of connecting tubes in what is known as “pig-tailing.”
A connection malfunctioned at around 9:30 a.m., which apparently created enough pressure for one of the canisters to ignite.
The employees immediately began using a hose to spray down the other tanks—not to extinguish the fire, but to cool the tanks, Lt. Lavender said. But the canisters exploded in a chain reaction, burning the two men on their upper bodies.
Randal Bibb, 50, and Daniel McMurry, 56, were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. McMurry, the plant's co-owner and manager, was reported in fair condition late Wednesday afternoon. Bibb was said to be in serious condition.
The third injured person was a truck driver, who hurt his back as he jumped out of his cab. Lt. Lavender said all three men managed to talk to authorities about what happened.
The fire was considered under control but not extinguished as of Wednesday afternoon. Highways and streets in the immediate vicinity were expected to be closed until around 7 p.m.—after what's sure to be a chaotic rush hour.
Officials said there was no indication that the explosions had any link to terrorism. "It's so premature at this point; we don't know," said Dallas police Deputy Chief Vincent Golbeck. "We do have federal agents at the scene to help us with that evaluation."
A one-half mile area surrounding the blast site remained off-limits at noon, and emergency officials were wary about moving in too close to the source of the explosion.
"Until we think it's safe, we will not send our firefighters into the building," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Eddie Burns. "We're in a defensive operation.
Around seven workers were believed to be on duty at the time of the blast.
Waco Mayor Virginia Dupuy, who is part-owner of Southwest Industrial Gases, said she had been told by another partner in the facility that all employees were able to evacuate safely. "Something like this just shakes you to your roots," Dupuy said in a telephone interview, her voice trembling.
WFAA-TV reporter Chris Heinbaugh was hit on the head by a projectile. "Pebble-sized ash is falling all around," he said. Debris can be seen more than 200 yards from the site of the blast.
"I was going south on I-35. The first thing I saw was a huge fire ball," said witness Kathy Williams. "I saw flames as high as the train overpass. It seemed as if the flames were as high as Reunion Tower."
Janiquta Bell was headed home after taking her husband at work. "All of a sudden the building started blowing up," she said.
"I had to just leave the car and run; grab the baby and run," said Bell, who is six months pregnant. "I made it out okay."
Now it's a waiting game. "My car is still on the freeway," Bell said. "They don't know when I'm going to be able to get my car off the freeway."
Video footage showed charred, smoldering metal wreckage at the site. There were numerous small fires burning in the area caused by flaming debris, including about a dozen cars in a nearby parking lot and some grassy areas of a highway median.
"I thought it was artillery. It was just coming just boom, boom, boom," said witness Tony Love, a former Army soldier.
Dallas police Sgt. Gil Cerda said officers were controlling traffic around the area.
Traffic was closed at one of the state's busiest highway intersections, Interstates 30 and 35, and was being rerouted through city streets, a Texas Department of Transportation spokesman said.
DART rail service was shut down in the area, and the transit agency also rerouted buses that normally travel near the blast site.
Vanessa O'Brien said she was standing in a parking lot a few blocks away when she felt at least 20 vibrations from the explosion.
"We felt the whole building move and the windows rattle," she said.
Despite hazy skies, a black column of smoke was visible from at least 10 miles.
The Environmental Protection Agency's emergency responders were on the way to the scene, said Dave Bary, a spokesman for the agency's regional office. He said they will assist in monitoring the air, but had no information yet.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals closed one of its offices a few blocks away. Staffers and animals were moved to another side of the building and animals recovering from surgery were taken to another facility, the group said in statement.
Dallas County's main jail and criminal courts building were at the edge of the evacuation zone but continued to operate, said Deputy Michael Ortiz of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.
Ortiz said that sheriff's officers were first on the scene to evacuate the area. Otherwise, he said the only effect the explosions at the county justice complex was the rush to the windows to view the spectacle.
"We are prepared to go into any emergency mode that's needed, but we feel pretty secure here in the jail," Ortiz said.
Because of network congestion, Sprint asked customers to avoid using their wireless phones unless there is an emergency. Sprint suggested using text messaging to relay routine messages, since that technique is a much more efficient use of the cellular spectrum.
The explosions caused a mini-stir among bailiffs at the Holy Foundation terror financing trial. Although the explosions were not audible inside the windowless 15th floor courtroom at the Earle Cabell federal building, U.S . marshals swapped information on the blasts via walkie talkies at a break in the proceedings just after 10 a.m.
Their basic message to each other was that the explosions were not connectged to the trial, which has building security personnel already on edge because of the nature of the subect matter.
Cars parked across the street were dusted with ash and small pieces of debris.
Seventy-five firefighters with 20 pieces of equipment were attempting to bring the situation under control.
A Love Field spokesperson said the explosions had no impact on flights to the Dallas airport.
Tuesday morning’s fire is the second major industrial blaze in as many months immediately south of Interstate 30 along Dallas’ Trinity River corridor. Dallas City Council member Steve Salazar said he wants the council to review safety in that area at an upcoming meeting.
"Certainly, this is something we should look at," Salazar said. "Given the fact that there haven’t been any fatalities, it seems like our fire department and emergency responders did a great job. But we need to let the fire department look at why this is occurring there in that area.”
WFAA-TV, DallasNews.com and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
ROADWAYS CLOSED:
4:22 p.m. Due to this morning's explosion, the Dallas Emergency Operations Center estimates some downtown freeways and roads will remain closed until approximately 7 p.m. this evening while clean-up and investigation continues. The City of Dallas is working with the Texas Department of Transportation to determine when the area around the roadways is safe to open up for vehicular traffic.
Major Highway Closures:
I-35 Southbound at Woodall Rogers
I-35 Northbound at 8th Street
I-30 Eastbound at Loop 12/Walton Walker in Irving
Westbound I-30 at RL Thornton (forced to go South)
Westbound I-30 at Hampton
Road Closures:
Southbound Stemmons before Woodall Rogers
Westbound Woodall Rogers at Southbound I-35
Reunion Blvd at I-35
Eastbound I-30 at Sylvan
Continental at Stemmons
Industrial at Continental
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