REACTION

Feds Probe Flooded Texas Chemical Plant Where Fire Erupted

Thursday’s flames have died out, but officials expect more to come.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has launched an investigation into the fire at a flooded Texas plant that erupted Thursday, as volatile chemicals inside reacted after electrical back-up systems keeping them cool failed. The fire at the Crosby facility, owned by Arkema Inc., is out—for now—but officials expect more blazes to come. “We continue to monitor the temperature in the remaining trailers and there is evidence suggesting that other trailers will soon burn, but there have been no reports of any fires or smoke,” the company said in a statement. The EPA said Thursday it would let the fire in the trailers, which house organic peroxide, burn itself out rather than risk the lives of emergency responders. Arkema was fined last year for risking “catastrophic releases” of the toxic materials at the site.