TX - Fertilizer plant explodes in West, Texas

[jjenny]

There were no security guards at that facility.

 

[jjenny]

I am so sorry that the cause is undetermined. That is going to be an open wound for the community & they have suffered enough already.

Hopefully with an ongoing criminal investigation something can be discovered.

Question for the locals.........were fires a frequent happening at the plant? I've heard something in the past about meth cookers causing problems.

I am pretty sure if there ever were fires at that plant, the whole thing would have blew up a long time ago. So, no previous fires. What I read is that people were stealing ingredients to make meth, not that there were fires.

 

[mysteriew]

What is a seed room at a fertilizer plant? Sorry if this has been ask before.

I think the owner actually ran two companies out of there. A seed and grain company and a fertilizer plant. Not 100 % sure but I think that is what I have seen.

 

[faw720]

I am pretty sure if there ever were fires at that plant, the whole thing would have blew up a long time ago. So, no previous fires. What I read is that people were stealing ingredients to make meth, not that there were fires.

Please reference post #958 posted by Mrs. Wilco. I believe she lives in West & she said that she didn't know of any meth cooking in the area. The community is so small I believe locals would have known about it. For one thing, it puts out a noxious smell that will just about knock you off your feet.

And just how do I know so much about cooking meth??..........very dear friends of mine live in an older area where they've lived for 50+ years. As the elders die off or go to nursing homes new people move in. My friends were unfortunate enough for meth cookers to move in next door. It was quite obvious because of the smell, various hoses running in & out of the windows, & strange comings & goings all hours of the day & night. The older established neighbors got together to discuss the situation but they were all afraid to contact the police. Why????? Because the street is a busy one & police frequently drive by. If the community elders knew what was going on, surely the police would also know because it was so obvious. They were afraid some on the police force were also involved & were afraid of retaliation by the cookers.

Fortunately, the cookers moved on after a couple of years. Guess they had made enough money to move into a McMansion.

 

[marycarney]

Please reference post #958 posted by Mrs. Wilco. I believe she lives in West & she said that she didn't know of any meth cooking in the area. The community is so small I believe locals would have known about it. For one thing, it puts out a noxious smell that will just about knock you off your feet.

And just how do I know so much about cooking meth??..........very dear friends of mine live in an older area where they've lived for 50+ years. As the elders die off or go to nursing homes new people move in. My friends were unfortunate enough for meth cookers to move in next door. It was quite obvious because of the smell, various hoses running in & out of the windows, & strange comings & goings all hours of the day & night. The older established neighbors got together to discuss the situation but they were all afraid to contact the police. Why????? Because the street is a busy one & police frequently drive by. If the community elders knew what was going on, surely the police would also know because it was so obvious. They were afraid some on the police force were also involved & were afraid of retaliation by the cookers.

Fortunately, the cookers moved on after a couple of years. Guess they had made enough money to move into a McMansion.

The 'obviousness' of meth has been largely replaced by the newer, portable 'backpack' methods. You've heard the stories lately about meth labs inside of Walmarts/ KMarts, the trunks of cars etc. Little to no smell is involved.
Not saying one way or another regarding THIS case, just wanted to throw that out there.

PS: It has always seemed to me that if you're smart enough to cook meth, you're smart enough to get a legit job. The entrepreneurial spirit of your average drug dealer/ meth cooker is pretty startling when you really think about it.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/...auses-Of-Deadly-West-Explosion-207728311.html

West Explosion Cause Undetermined; Tragedy Unfolded In 19 Minutes

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

This is back from 4/28/13, but I hadn't seen this article, not sure if it was previously posted.

I know we've been talking about Bryce Reed here...but this article talks about Cyrus Reed right before the explosion.


http://www.kwtx.com/news/local/head...-Fallen-West-First-Responders--205171161.html

 

[Cherry]

What I heard yesterday on the news; was that there was a golf cart in the area they had been having prior trouble with; catching fire. Problem is they can't even find it; I think they said only the axle and another piece or a wheel was found. I still believe that the defendent arrested with pipe bombs fits the profile of an arsonist; the attention seeking; being right there at the scene, making himself front person spoke person, I believe he started this, using explosives. I hope LE can prove it too.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Please reference post #958 posted by Mrs. Wilco. I believe she lives in West & she said that she didn't know of any meth cooking in the area. The community is so small I believe locals would have known about it. For one thing, it puts out a noxious smell that will just about knock you off your feet.

And just how do I know so much about cooking meth??..........very dear friends of mine live in an older area where they've lived for 50+ years. As the elders die off or go to nursing homes new people move in. My friends were unfortunate enough for meth cookers to move in next door. It was quite obvious because of the smell, various hoses running in & out of the windows, & strange comings & goings all hours of the day & night. The older established neighbors got together to discuss the situation but they were all afraid to contact the police. Why????? Because the street is a busy one & police frequently drive by. If the community elders knew what was going on, surely the police would also know because it was so obvious. They were afraid some on the police force were also involved & were afraid of retaliation by the cookers.

Fortunately, the cookers moved on after a couple of years. Guess they had made enough money to move into a McMansion.

We had people cooking it in a house catty-corner to us. While the cooking was going on, the house was sealed up tight (but the smell seeped out). Once cooking was over, doors and windows were opened and blinds came up. Apparently that was the signal that the "store" was open, because any manner of person could be seen coming and going night and day...until the "product" was all gone, and it was time to seal up and cook up all over again. This went on for awhile until the whole bunch up and moved out in one four-hour time span. Their "customers" continued to stop by that house for months afterwards.

Yep...once you smell that smell, you will never forget it.

ETA: marycarney, I totally agree. If drug dealers would just apply their business acumen to legitimate pursuits, they could be quite successful and retire comfortably.

Oh. One more thing: Never joke around about meth. A friend of mine learned this the hard way. She was at a cookout and joked that yeah, she had a meth lab in the back of her truck. A few days later, her house was raided! Someone had taken her comment seriously and reported her. The cops didn't take it as a laughing matter.

 

[dodie20]

Please reference post #958 posted by Mrs. Wilco. I believe she lives in West & she said that she didn't know of any meth cooking in the area. The community is so small I believe locals would have known about it. For one thing, it puts out a noxious smell that will just about knock you off your feet.

And just how do I know so much about cooking meth??..........very dear friends of mine live in an older area where they've lived for 50+ years. As the elders die off or go to nursing homes new people move in. My friends were unfortunate enough for meth cookers to move in next door. It was quite obvious because of the smell, various hoses running in & out of the windows, & strange comings & goings all hours of the day & night. The older established neighbors got together to discuss the situation but they were all afraid to contact the police. Why????? Because the street is a busy one & police frequently drive by. If the community elders knew what was going on, surely the police would also know because it was so obvious. They were afraid some on the police force were also involved & were afraid of retaliation by the cookers.

Fortunately, the cookers moved on after a couple of years. Guess they had made enough money to move into a McMansion.

This is what happened to us about 6 months ago. One night at about 3am, my eyes and throat started burning, and then the smell hit...a combination of chemicals, ammonia, and kitty litter of all things. It was so strong that I was worried about getting high on contact. I thought about calling the police but like your friends, decided it would be a lost cause. 1st of all, I didn't know which house was cooking, could just tell it was behind us. Secondly, cops patrol this neighborhood religiously and don't need me telling them that I smell something 'weird'. They've got the same sense of smell I do. I did finally figure out who it was, (based on some other issues), and if it happens again, I will call. They had a yard full of mean dogs that just got picked up because another neighbor reported them for being loose and non stop barking. Ironically, these meth neighbors are my daughter's bf's 'friends', and we've had a few issues out of the wife. What's really scary is that she recently announced on her facebook, that she just finished LVN school. What is it about the medical profession, that attracts these people? And she's just so 'cool'...uses all the drug lingo, and posts about all of the men wanting her, and how she can beat anyone up...all accompanied by 'sexy' photos, of course. Never a mention of her kids or husband. She'll probably get dressed up and take her facebook down, before she starts interviewing for jobs.

 

[SeekingJana]

The press conference held by the ATF Thursday was an update, since the blast was exactly one month ago from their PC.

I don't think the investigation has ended or that the professionals have gone to other places. I believe they will continue to explore viable avenues in their ongoing investigation.
At one point, from what bit I was able to catch on our intermittent Internet and electricity outages here due to the tornado, some of the authorities at the press conference were calling it an open " criminal investigation". IMO, an old golf cart which blew up in a building and/ or wiring in an old building is not " criminal". I could be wrong, or they could have misspoken but the term used made the hair stand up on the back of my neck...

I want it to not be a deliberate act so much. People will heal from undetermined, or wiring, etc but not so easily from a deliberately set fire and explosion.
I've seen personally this week that people can accept acts of nature, or God, or accidents and move forward. I want West to keep their strong sense of peace and their exemplary optimism.

 

[faw720]

I don't want it to be a deliberate act either!! However, to me, it would be worse to never know the cause...........I think that would always haunt me. I'm just going to pray for a miracle that some day officials will be able to determine a cause.

 

[mysteriew]

I don't want it to be anything but an accident either. But to me what would be worse would be to let it hang. Now that the question is out there, unless they come up with a reason, any reason there will always be that question hanging in the air.

 

[MsFacetious]

And Mr Reed will always be under suspicion...

 

[AlwaysShocked]

This man certainly has some sort of a problem. First, he's an outright liar on his resume, claiming to have graduated as a nurse, when he did not. He also claims to have an MBA (from the University of Phoenix - is that the one that advertises on TV all the time?) and another BA degree from another school. For all these degrees, he cannot spell.

In addition to these resume lies, the sister of the late Cyrus Reed says when they checked her brother's cellphone, this guy's number was not even on it. And he was not a "friend" on her brother's Facebook page.

There are two accusations of him stealing. One from the sister of Cyrus Reed and another which just states that he was fired two days after the blast due to "stealing from another firefighter". Can't tell if that is the same accusation or two different ones.

His wife left him after he was fired for the stealing accusation. I guess we can figure his wife knows him pretty well.

As seen by the numerous interviews he gave, he is a publicity/spotlight hog.

Two weeks prior to this explosion he "took a leave" from his job. Two weeks after the explosion it is discovered he possesses the makings of a pipe bomb.

Given that one of the named possible sources of the explosion, out of three, is arson, is it any wonder that there may be suspicion directed at him?

I don't think it is too far afield for a person who would make a bomb to start a fire.

 

[SeekingJana]

I've been hesitant to speculate much about Bryce Reed's history as we know it to be post- explosion... It seems to be a controversial topic here and I'm finished with controversy on WS. What I want to say in this post is largely hypothetical at this point. I believe that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and even then, some slip through the cracks ( Casey Anthony).
So please, no egg- throwing :truce:

IF the fire was deliberately started, unless the fire bug had a specific grudge against the Adair's fertilizer and grain business, the fire starter is likely to go on to start other fires and or explosions and kill others.
Pyromania is not a one- off crime, it is a habitual offense, an addictive sociopathic behavior. Likewise, if a former uniformed rescuer started the blaze which led to the explosion, there MAY be a history of other deliberate criminal acts involving either fires or causing Code Blue situations then " rescuing" the victims and getting the " Hero" response-- accolades and praise from other EMTs/ Paramedics in the field or ambulance with him, and supervisory recognition for excellence.

I wish we knew the relationship of the person in Abbott TX, who was given the box containing the bomb and additional bomb making supplies. Could this be an innocent person who has unknowingly sheltered evidence or criminal behavior in the past? ( Providing alibis, helping out a friend or relative without knowing the implications?)

Two questions come to mind:
1) How exactly, do you hand off a bomb in a box to a person who trusts you enough and you trust enough to give them such a thing? Regardless of the nasty comments left all over the Internet about Texans in the wake of this disaster, I know the state is not a refuge for anarchists. This is such a whackadoodle thing to do in and of itself. " Here, here's a package for you to keep but please don't get it near flames".. How is that sane?
2) How did he manage to lie about being a Registered Nurse and no one caught it? All states have online licensure verification and the State Boards of Nursing can also tell an agency if a person has ever been licensed in that state, if the faker says license lapsed for one reason or another. Does this lying mean he was never eligible or qualified to be an EMT? As I understand it, he was an EMT instructor in West. He would still have had to go to school to become a licensed, certified EMT. Did he or did he not? An RN is not automatically an EMT anyway, and an EMT is certainly not an RN.

Did Cyrus Reed perhaps find out something about BR's lies or bomb-making? He seems to be the " ground zero" for Bryce Reed. Why do all of BR's roads lead back to a dead firefighter who was NOT a close friend OR relative as BR has claimed, even brazenly on national TV?
How does a sane person steal items from a dead man's house when the man was such a role model and almost idolized by BR, apparently?

I would really like to know what BR's employment background looks like at age 31. He was fired ( or as they said " Let go", which is fired) from West. He lied about professional credentialing which may point to habitual serious lying, IMO. What are the other lies? Where did he live prior to moving to West TX and what may he have done there?

If LE are smart, they will call in the FBI to thoroughly investigate his past in all aspects where he has lived from early teen age and up. If he is a classic pyromaniac, then there was most likely deviant behavior in his teen years ( cruelty to animals, disregard for the feelings of others, sociopathic lying). . If he has " Hero Syndrome", it will show up in the ratio of near deaths in his reports vs. his co-workers' reports.

If his wife is still separated from him, there is a chance that she could be a valuable source of information. She was reported to have been in the car with him at the time of the fire and explosion. I think she may be a valuable witness if approached with immunity for her possible knowledge of criminal behavior.

This is what I hope gets investigated about a man who is, at the very least, a habitual liar and a thief. The rest is conjecture at this point- about a suspect in custody for a crime related to making a weapon -and I have clearly said so.

There may be other suspects we do not know about. Or BR may have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing in the blast, but authorities are not saying this. IDK.

In other news, looks like the blast may put a real hardship on the children of West, TX.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/greate...cle_9f4d9915-37ca-59d5-bfd8-27b2238dbf7e.html

Again, except for the info about the schools being possibly underinsured, these are questions I have and some of them are hypothetical.
I do not wish to malign anyone or unfairly accuse the innocent. I am working with what we have, and what Bryce Reed himself has said and done which is in the public domain. He is jailed on suspicion of committing a serious offense. I didn't pick his name out of a hat.

I'm concerned that the destruction may not be over if there is a pyromaniac ( habitual fire starter) behind the explosion. If it is an accidental explosion, I hope we will know before too long.

And in closing, I hope Bryce Reed gets the psych. help he needs to stop his outrageous lying and other grandiose behaviors, and to stop stealing.
He is not an emotionally well person.

Thanks for reading

 

[SeekingJana]

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/west...ers-mourn-explosions-impact-on-their-town.ece

They seem to have lived a life very similar to the one I had growing up on a farm. I couldn't read it without tears rolling down my face. They may have made some serious business errors safety- wise but they seem to be good people without great knowledge of industrial safety, or employees with it either.

 

[faw720]

At this point, I absolutely don't know what to think about this situation.

The only thing I think I know for sure is that authorities are going to put Bryce Reed's life under a microscope from the day he was born. I also believe that they won't stop until they have proof positive that he is either innocent or guilty. If Reed is innocent, I feel so sorry for him!!! I'm sure his life is a living hell right now.

 

[mysteriew]

No accusation, for discussion purposes only

Interesting report:

Research conducted in the early 1990s by the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCVAC) located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, suggests that a “tell-tale” sign that a firefighter may be setting fires is a sudden increase in nuisance fires within a company’s “first due” area. The research also indicates that firefighter arson offenders tend to be relatively new to the department, typically less than three years as a member. The FBI study of 25 cases of firefighter arson in seven U.S. states and one Canadian province showed that the number one motive was excitement, especially among young firefighters who were eager to put their training to practical use, and to be seen as heroes to fellow firefighters and the community they served. In that study, 75 firefighters were found to be responsible for 182 fires.

snip: In reviewing cases of firefighter arson for this report, it was apparent that one of the primary motives for firefighters who commit arson is to be seen as a hero. They may be the first to call in a fire, the first on the scene, and one of the most eager, excited, and enthusiastic members of the response team. Their main reason for lighting the fire is so they can appear as a hero, either by being the first to spot the flames, or by rescuing people and saving property. Extreme cases of firefighter arson involve fires set in occupied structures. When a firefighter sets fire to an occupied structure, the potential for being a life-saving hero is even greater. In North Carolina, one firefighter would set fire to an occupied house, and then return to the scene and rescue the family. His need for excitement, being worshiped, and getting attention predominated over any concern about the terrible danger to which he exposed the occupants.
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-141.pdf

 

[faw720]

No accusation, for discussion purposes only

Interesting report:

Research conducted in the early 1990s by the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCVAC) located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, suggests that a “tell-tale” sign that a firefighter may be setting fires is a sudden increase in nuisance fires within a company’s “first due” area. The research also indicates that firefighter arson offenders tend to be relatively new to the department, typically less than three years as a member. The FBI study of 25 cases of firefighter arson in seven U.S. states and one Canadian province showed that the number one motive was excitement, especially among young firefighters who were eager to put their training to practical use, and to be seen as heroes to fellow firefighters and the community they served. In that study, 75 firefighters were found to be responsible for 182 fires.

snip: In reviewing cases of firefighter arson for this report, it was apparent that one of the primary motives for firefighters who commit arson is to be seen as a hero. They may be the first to call in a fire, the first on the scene, and one of the most eager, excited, and enthusiastic members of the response team. Their main reason for lighting the fire is so they can appear as a hero, either by being the first to spot the flames, or by rescuing people and saving property. Extreme cases of firefighter arson involve fires set in occupied structures. When a firefighter sets fire to an occupied structure, the potential for being a life-saving hero is even greater. In North Carolina, one firefighter would set fire to an occupied house, and then return to the scene and rescue the family. His need for excitement, being worshiped, and getting attention predominated over any concern about the terrible danger to which he exposed the occupants.
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-141.pdf

Something about this bothers me. It seems if Reed fits the profile too well. It's almost like he read an instruction booklet on how to draw the most suspicion on himself............