Kentucky Chemical Explosion Results in All-night Shelter-in-place

Residents of Fort Wright, KY were asked to shelter in place on January 11, after multiple booms were reported coming from a plastics plant starting around 8:15 p.m.

By 8:30 p.m., residents within a one-mile radius received a “code red” alert, urging them to shelter in place. Another similar boom was then reported around 11 p.m. The shelter-in-place order was not lifted until 5:30 a.m. the next morning.

Officials said the explosions were related to a storage vessel housing polyester resin. Emergency responders were able to contain the explosion and released additional details at about 1 a.m.: “As the chemical resin continues to cool down, it is off-gassing and occasionally emitting a loud popping noise. These are not considered explosions but rather a normal cooling process."

Only minor property damage was reported and no people were injured as a result of the incident.
The facility where the incident occurred is a specialty chemical company focusing on the production and distribution of unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins, gel coats, colorants, and putties.
 

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Tags: chemical, Chemical safety, explosion, fire