Firefighters Rushing to Reported Explosion, Two-Alarm Blaze - Kansas City, MO

[Jeanette in FL]

Firefighters Rushing to Reported Explosion, Two-Alarm Blaze

LATE-BREAKING NEWS: Firefighters Rushing to Reported Explosion, Two-Alarm Blaze

Feb 7, 2007 03:49 PM EST


KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Firefighters are rushing to the scene of a reported explosion and two-alarm blaze at Nicholson and North Garland.
The blaze is reportedly at a chemical plant.
Thick black smoke can be seen for miles.
We're following this late-breaking story closely, and we'll update this story as soon as we have new information.
Copyright 2001 - 2007 KCTV5. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.kctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6052823


KC'ers check in with us. Let us know if you are okay.

[evlbstrd]

1. I'm watching it burn from my office window.

Here's a teevee link:
http://media.myfoxkc.com/live/index1.html

[Jeanette in FL]

2. OMG, it looks horrible

I just walked in the house and put the tv on and saw it. Glad you are safe.

[evlbstrd]

3. It's near the river.

I'm on the south end of the city. But I have a great view.

[Jeanette in FL]

4. Which way is the wind blowing?

What the hell kind of chemicals. Are you safe?

[evlbstrd]

5. The smoke cloud is blowing back over downtown.

Toward the southeast.
It's a chemical company. One of their main products is mineral spirits.
I'll go out and have a cigarette and let you know what it smells like.

[Jeanette in FL]

6. Breathe deep

Yeah, that's the spirit, be the first human guinea pig.

[evlbstrd]

8. The smoke is now over my house and office building.

There'll be no avoiding it. News reports are saying the chemicals could combine ro produce poison gas. Ah, urban living.

[DrDan]

7. wow - that is major

must remember to wash my hands - a fox line - ewwww

[evlbstrd]

10. I know.

Sorry about the Fox thing.

[DrDan]

36. where do you work?

I used to work down on 63rd street - took the Paseo bridge home each night. Heard that ended up closed to traffic for a while.

[Jeanette in FL]

9. The EPA is on the case, but they haven't checked the air yet

Oh you guys are in trouble if they are handling it. Ask NY'ers. They were given the all clear within hours.

Great coverage on Evlbstrd's link.

[evlbstrd]

11. Now there's stuff falling from the sky.

Downtown and Midtown (where I am).

[originalpckelly]

22. DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF IT!

It is toxic and they are saying not to touch anything coming in contact with it.

[newportdadde]

12. Smells terrible here in the office downtown.

Nasty nasty nasty, like a roasting tire.

[evlbstrd]

14. Are you getting out of there?

[evlbstrd]

13. proud2Blib's school is being evacuated now.

Along with several others.

[Jeanette in FL]

16. I was wondering about her school

Just heard about the evacuations.

[dubyaD40web]

15. Live stream here:

http://web.kshb.com/kshb/breaking_news/index.shtml

[CrazyOrangeCat]

17. I'm three miles or so ESE of this mess.

In the old Northeast neighborhood. The plume of black smoke is going away from me, fortunately. But wow. That's a big-ass bunch of toxic smoke. It is repotedly visible in Lawrence, which is 45 miles away.

[dubyaD40web]

18. I'm in Olathe

and I can see the dark clouds up north.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

19. A few years ago, I would have driven . . .

. . . up to Cliff Drive and looked down on it. Not worth getting hassled by cops, to go breathe that stuff...

[originalpckelly]

20. I'm watching the stream, and they say it is toxic...

watch out and do not breath it or touch it.

[Guava Jelly]

21. We are all gonna die!!

Well if you listen to fox 4

[originalpckelly]

23. I think they are being appropriately cautious...

I'd have to say they are doing the right thing, better to be cautious rather than have some form of permanent lung damage.

[Jeanette in FL]

24. I think that they are too

Who knows what that stuff is.

[Guava Jelly]

25. I am about 10 minutes away from the explosion

I am sure it is toxic.
I work with resins and chemicals
Just watching the news guys salivate because they have something to report irritates me.

[originalpckelly]

29. OIC!

Sorry! I don't like newsgasms either!

[Guava Jelly]

30. No problem

I work with many of the same chemicals that are burning.
I wouldn't want to breathe that crap either.

[protect our future]

26. I can see the cloud of smoke

from my house and it appears to be heading southwest through Wyandotte County and to Johnson County. They say it may burn out by tomorrow, worst case scenario 72 hours. I heard a report that a sap-like substance was falling from the sky as fas as Waldo, but I don't see the cloud in that area.

Anyone who can smell it, please get outta there. No telling what new toxins are formed with all these chemicals burning and forming new substances.

[hatrack]

27. Press conference mentioned ketones (blecch)

And initial reports (haven't heard confirmation) talked about a collision between trucks carrying mineral spirit.

I can see it from work, and am getting ready to leave.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. So what can you tell us about long term effects?

I was glad to see you posting. I was sure thinking about you today.

[protect our future]

28. Local report says smoke is lessening because

everything in the area has been consumed and there is nothing left to burn. Hope that's correct.

[protect our future]

31. Nope, there's new explosions. n/t

[Jeanette in FL]

32. KC'ers, check in here

We just want to make sure you are alright.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=162x7448

[leftyladyfrommo]

35. KC is All Right. No One Hurt or Dead. I think they must have the

fire out now - was a big fire with lots and lots of smoke - but no toxic chemicals in the mix.

The Chemical Plant is pretty much gone and about 4 houses went up in the flames. But the wind was blowing in a favorable direction and the fire didn't spread to the other businesses.

This was in the Bottoms which is mostly industrial. I haven't listened to the News this morning but it sounded like it all started when 3 big tanks exploaded. Last nite I heard that smaller containers caught on fire and then the tanks went up.

But we are all OK> Thanks for asking.

[Scout1071]

34. Holy shit! I just got home from work and knew nothing about this!