Remembering the West fertilizer plant explosion, 10 years later
WEST (CBSNewsTexas) - Ten years ago today, the tiny town of West, Texas drew the attention of the world when a fertilizer plant exploded.
It was a fire inside the West Fertilizer Company, which sparked the detonation of 30 tons of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate. While ammonium nitrate is powerful enough to make bombs in Afghanistan, it's also been used for crop production in America for decades.
Fifteen people lost their lives, hundreds were injured and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed.
Seismic stations registered a 2.1-magnitude earthquake, from the explosion, that shook the town to its foundation. That measurement was based on waves absorbed through the ground. The actual force of impact was much greater above ground.
The panic, and destruction at the scene, was overwhelming for first responders. As many as 400 emergency officials from across Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth responded to the explosion, even without being asked.
"Listen to me, my ambulance station just completely exploded," one emergency worker told CBS News Texas crews who arrived shortly after.
Entire neighborhoods were destroyed, and empty after people evacuated for fear of another blast. The West Rest Haven Nursing Home was among the locations evacuated, as officials moved 133 patients to safety, some in wheelchairs.
Additional fertilizer on the site never detonated, but the damage was done; it's impact still felt in the small town to this day.
President Barack Obama later attended the memorial service for the firefighters and first responders who were killed.
"West is a town that many Texans hold near and dear to their hearts, and as residents continue to respond to this tragedy, they will have the support of the American people," he said at the time.
Click here to read the full statement from President Obama.
A decade of investigations has yet to fully provide answers to what or who started the fire, that led to so much loss.
