JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
AN EXPLOSION AND LARGE FIRE ROCKED the entire northside of Jacksonville at 1:30 this afternoon at T2 Labs, a chemical facility that manufactures solvents and gasoline additives. One early and uncorroborated report says that two were killed. At least 3 people are missing. Jacksonville FD has massive fire and hazmat force on the scene.
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Channel 4 photo
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Channel 47 graphic
WJXT is live-streaming it HERE. Live-stream discontinued because fire is out.
FirstCoast News has THREE VIDEOS.
Update #1: Large pieces of structural steel have landed several hundred feet away.
Many small businesses in the area were thumped from the concussion leaving people in them disoriented.
At least 6 have been transported to hospitals.
FD had just operated a pre-plan drill on site a couple of weeks ago.
Decontamination tents have been set up at the hospital.
Update #2: FD has ordered total evacuation for 1/2 mile radius.
At least 4 people critically injured.
One witness says when the blast happened it blew away windshields and knocked people over. He saw several people bleeding and visibly shaken.
FD has BLEVE concern with storage area of 55 gal. drums.
Update #3: Fox News is now reporting 2 dead.
Kathy Jones, a General Manger for Holiday Inn in Jacksonville, told CNN that the explosion blew the doors off the building of the hotel which is two miles away from the plant.
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Travis Walden/JaxPort photo
Update #4: FD has just had a press conference and has confirmed 3 fatalities so far and 14 transported to three hospitals.
No toxins in the air and evacuation orders have been lifted.
In addition to the BLEVE hazard there are also water-reactive chemicals involved.
Fire officially reported out at 4:15 pm Eastern.
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Jacksonville Times-Union photo
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WJXT photo
FirstCoast News has THREE VIDEOS.
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AP/Times-Union photo
Final Update, 8:00 pm:
The latest casualty report says that there were 4 dead and 22 injured.
The Environment News Service reports that T2 Labs manufactures low environmental impact specialty chemicals that replace conventional industrial chemicals. More specifically:
The company makes Ecotane® – a manganese-based octane improver for gasoline that reduces tailpipe emissions used by refineries and gasoline blenders. The additive is EPA-approved for use in the United States, and is used in more than 70 other countries.
T2 Labs specializes in the manufacture of specialty terpene solvents from citrus and pine-derived feedstocks.
The company also manufactures a number of limonene-type solvents from turpentine, the essential oil of the pine tree.
Another of the company’s solvents is made of d-limonene, a by-product of citrus oil processing used for wipe-cleaning in aerospace applications.
Read the rest of their article HERE.
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