Investigators have revealed that the fire that caused an April 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas was intentional.
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The ATF announced a $50,000 reward for anyone who has information about the fire.
“This means this fire was a criminal act”, ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Elder said at a news conference.
Fire investigators had previously narrowed the cause of the blast to three possibilities: electrical wiring, a short-circuited golf cart or arson.
“We have never stopped investigating this fire”, Elder said. West mayor Tommy Muska compared the blast to a nuclear explosion.
– Federal investigators are due to reveal the cause of the fire and explosion in the city of West three years ago.
They also mentioned a failure to conduct safety inspections of the plant, shortcomings in emergency response such as with hazmat training, and poor land planning that allowed development to sprout around the plant over the years.
The US Chemical Safety Board adopted recommendations that federal regulators set higher standards for safe handling and storage of fertiliser-grade ammonium nitrate. A dozen emergency responders were killed when the when fertilizer at the facility exploded.
Sanders, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Palos Hills, said Wednesday that regulations aren’t uniform from state and state.
The explosion, which occurred about 20 minutes after a fire was reported at the plant, also injured 160 people and destroyed 500 homes over a 37 square-block area.
The explosion caused about $100m in damage, with another $230m in insurance-related losses.
After the blast, a West paramedic was accused of collecting materials for an explosive device. The full report will not be released because the investigation is still ongoing, Elder told Channel 2 investigative reporter Jace Larson.
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“After more than 400 interviews, a systematic fire-scene examination, the review of witness photos, videos and observations, as well as extensive scientific testing at the ATF Fire Research Lab in Beltsville, Maryland, the fire has been ruled ‘incendiary, ‘ or intentionally set”, the ATF said in a statement.
