Tragic 2013 explosion at Texas fertilizer plant determined to have been caused by arson
A 2013 Texas fertilizer plant explosion that wounded 200 and killed 15 — including 12 first responders — was caused by an act of arson, investigators announced Wednesday. The State Fire Marshals deemed the April 2013 fire a "criminal act" and said it was intentional.
No arrests have been made, although officials said they were on "the right track." Authorities ruled the fire was deliberate after conducting more than 400 interviews.
The night of the explosion, a fire had broken out at the West Fertilizer Co. in the town of West, Texas. Twenty minutes after the blaze started, the plant exploded with such force that it actually caused a magnitude 2.1 earthquake.
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"It was like a nuclear bomb went off," West Mayor Tommy Muska told CNN.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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