Raging fire breaks out at Texas chemical plant after Houston-area location had two explosions following Harvey power outages
Another fire has broken out at a Houston-area chemical plant on Friday evening
Flames and smoke could be seen coming from the Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas
One trailer believed to be on fire is filled with organic peroxides
The plant saw two explosions previously on Thursday that resulted in a fire
A spokeswoman for the chemical plant had said up to eight more containers could burn and explode
By CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE
DAILYMAIL.COM
1 September 2017
A raging fire has broken out at a Texas chemical plant after the Houston-area location had two explosions on Thursday due to Harvey power outages.
Flames and dark plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas, on Friday evening.
Officials acknowledged that one trailer is filled with organic peroxides and possibly a second is on fire, as an executive had said up to eight more containers could burn.
The recent blaze comes after another container of organic peroxides exploded and caught fire early on Thursday, sending acrid smoke into the air.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it has a surveillance aircraft checking to monitor any airborne toxic chemicals that may arise from the smoke.
While billowing black smoke poured out of at least one trailer on Friday, Arkema spokeswoman Janet Smith reiterated statements executives made earlier in the day that the remaining containers of organic peroxides would explode.
She said that the safest course of action is to simply ‘let these fires happen and let them burn out.’
Arkema’s president and chief executive, Rich Rowe, apologized and said he was sending a team of employees to Crosby to figure out how best to assist locals.
‘I realize this is not a situation that we can help remedy overnight,’ he said.
Harvey’s floodwaters engulfed backup generators and cut off the refrigeration necessary to keep the organic peroxides, used in such products as plastics and paints, from degrading and catching fire.
Employees had been pulled, and up to 5,000 people living nearby were warned Tuesday to evacuate.
Early Thursday, two blasts blew open a trailer containing at least 2 tons of material, sending up a plume of black smoke and flames 30- to 40-foot high in the tiny town about a half-hour from Houston, authorities said.
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