Massive explosion in Waco area Fertilizer plant

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

MSNBC is reporting 5-15 dead.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26852192/ns/msnbc-zeitgeist/vp/51580516/

Given the map below, one would think it will rise.

According to local reporting, the West volunteer fire department knew they were in over their heads pretty quickly[1].  West PD and Fire started evacuating the nursing home and apartment building before the actual explosion.

[1] The plant was on fire for about 2 hours prior to the explosion.

And the schools? Please tell me the schools were evacuated, too.

Since it happened at 2000, I doubt anyone but the night custodial staff was there.

[Valmy]

And the schools? Please tell me the schools were evacuated, too.

It exploded at night so hopefully there were only a few people there.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Various pictures of the fire, explosion, and aftermath: http://imgur.com/a/02Wcq

[merithyn]

Explosion caught on video. Holy shit!

Also, they're speculating 70 dead!
The town is being evacuated.
http://www.kwkt.com/news/caught-camera-fertilizer-plant-explosion-near-waco

This is awful. That little girl just about made me cry.

[CountDeMoney]

This is awful. That little girl just about made me cry.

They were interviewing him this morning with his kids, and he said there were a few people taking footage of the fire a lot closer to the blast than he was.
After the blast, he didn't see them anymore.

[garbon]

That ran through my mind this morning.

I don't think I ever had that DLC. I was like I don't remember that in LA Noire.

[derspiess]

This is awful. That little girl just about made me cry.

They were interviewing him this morning with his kids, and he said there were a few people taking footage of the fire a lot closer to the blast than he was.
After the blast, he didn't see them anymore.

Particularly if I had my kids with me, I'd leave the area as soon as I could rather than record the damned thing.  Fires spread quickly and sometimes make things go kaboom. 

[derspiess]

That ran through my mind this morning.

I don't think I ever had that DLC. I was like I don't remember that in LA Noire.

That one takes you back to more arson cases.  Your partner things it's "the Reds" attacking when he sees the fireball.

[CountDeMoney]

Particularly if I had my kids with me, I'd leave the area as soon as I could rather than record the damned thing.  Fires spread quickly and sometimes make things go kaboom.

Cars or fertilizer plants, it goes both ways. 

[merithyn]

This is awful. That little girl just about made me cry.

They were interviewing him this morning with his kids, and he said there were a few people taking footage of the fire a lot closer to the blast than he was.
After the blast, he didn't see them anymore.

Jesus.

I need to crawl into my bed with a pitcher of warm milk laced with vanilla and my Anne of Green Gables books after this week. I am not equipped for this kind of stuff.

[CountDeMoney]

I need to crawl into my bed with a pitcher of warm milk laced with vanilla and my Anne of Green Gables books after this week. I am not equipped for this kind of stuff.

Hey, shit blows up all the time, anywhere at any moment every day, somewhere in this world.  Best you can hope for in this life is you're not within the blast radius.

[Syt]

I don't think I ever had that DLC. I was like I don't remember that in LA Noire.

It's cool for the immediate aftermath and later getting to explore Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, but overall a rather "meh" mission.

[The Brain]

Government's view of risk and risk management is incredibly immature.

[MadImmortalMan]

Damn, I was wondering about zoning myself.

They have none in most places in Texas.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

[1] The plant was on fire for about 2 hours prior to the explosion.

Either I misheard or this was initially misreported, but according to a 1000 press conference the explosion was 24 minutes after the initial emergency call.  The rest of what I stated is still accurate.