WALLER, TX (KTRK) — Multiple fire departments and a HazMat crew responded to a fire at a chemical plant fire in Waller County Saturday night. That fire is now extinguished, but questions remain about its cause.
Officials say flames broke out at Flowchem along FM 529 west of FM 2855 at around 9:30pm. Though a test of the air quality showed only a low risk, residents near the facility were advised to shelter-in-place. That order was lifted at around 2:20am.
At this point, it’s not clear how the fire started. Plant managers say there haven’t been employees there since Thursday.
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said, “There’s definitely some alcohol and some other materials on site that were flammable, and we know that there was one tank that had liquid nitrogen in it that we were real careful of, but it doesn’t appear the fire came anywhere near close to those tanks.”
Air tests of the area did not show any danger from the fire.
According to the Waller County Sheriff’s Office, Flowchem makes a pipeline additive that uses ground up synthetic rubber and soybeans.
Except for a few spot grass fires, bulk of the fire at the Flow Chem facility on FM 529 is out. Great job to all of the First Responders!
— Waller County OEM (@wallercountyoem) July 5, 2015
Twelve different fire departments responded to the scene.
http://abc13.com/news/fire-rages-at-waller-county-chemical-plant/829113/
“Air tests of the area did not show any danger from the fire.”
Chemical plant + fire = NO DANGER?
Right.
Well, there was a fire some place, some time, could be the news story is telling the truth about a fire at the address given, but Flowchem is on Old Houston Road next to the 290 freeway, and M Power Chemicals is at the Brookshire address given. I’m surprised there is no helicopter video footage. Whatever. At least no one was hurt.