The incident occurred on 25 July 2007 at approximately 0920 hours at Southwest Industrial Gases Inc. facility, located in the 500 block of Industrial Boulevard, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. The facility is a supplier of industrial, specialty, and other fuel gases. The site is situated adjacent to Interstate 35E and Interstate 30, immediately southwest of Downtown Dallas.
It was reported that an acetylene cylinder used in commercial welding applications failed while being filled on a loading dock, causing a series of explosions. According to officials on-scene, the actual cause of the accident is under investigation.
The Dallas County Sheriff's Department and Dallas Fire and Rescue officials initiated a 1/2 mile radius evacuation around the site due to the explosions and fire.
The EPA was contacted by the Dallas Fire and Rescue to provide air monitoring support for response operations. The National Response Center (NRC# 843291) reported the fire internally at 1108 hours.
EPA and START contractors arrived on-site at 1110 to perform air monitoring and to take air and wipe samples due to the air quality concern and the possiblity of asbestos being released into the air.
START-3 conducted air monitoring around the perimeter of the evacuation area and monitored for: particulates, VOCs (with a PID and FID), SO2, NO2, CO2, HCN, NH3, Cl2, O2, H2S, CO, Amines, Hydrides, and LEL. There were no readings above background levels.
START-3 setup five SKC sampling trains and prepared to take wipe samples on surfaces in the area of the smoke plume. The samples will be analyzed for asbestos.
START-3 observed Dallas Fire and Rescue crews attempting to control and extinguish the fire. Multiple local fire departments, including Hazardous Materials teams, were also on-site.
Officials from TCEQ, Texas Railroad Commission, Dallas County, City of Dallas, and local law enforcement agencies were on-scene coordinating the response effort.
At 1432 hours, the EPA ASPECT plane began to fly over the site to collect airborne data. The team flew over the facility six times at an altitude of 2300 AGL. The data indicated the presence of 1-butene (less than 1 ppm), 2-butene (5-10 ppm) and isobutylene (approximately 1 ppm). No plume was observed in the visible or IR images.
RP and TXDOT will begin to remove the cylinders and debris from the roadways when the fire is under control.
The local fire departments will continue to work to extinguish the fire and cool the intact cylinders.
The RP and the City of Dallas will conduct separate investigations to determine the cause of the incident.
The results from the samples taken by START-3 will be available midday on 26 July 2007.
At least three personnel were injured when the explosions and fire began.
Interstates 35E and 30 remain closed pending clearance of debris on the roads. Local roads remain closed to public traffic due to the firefighting operations.
The evacuation order remains in place for local businesses.
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