Warehouse Reignites

1995

Within a few weeks of the first chemical warehouse fire, an adjacent warehouse owned by the same company, Houston Distribution Inc., erupted in flames, sending more plumes of chemical smoke over the neighborhood. The second ignition was a four-alarm fire in its own right.

When the second fire broke out, some reports state that security personnel were not on duty in the building, while company officials claim that four guards were present at the building. The pillar of smoke from the blaze was visible from up to 20 miles away. Some residents’ homes were as close as 70 meters to the fire. Evacuations were not officially ordered, but residents reported ash falling around their homes downwind of the fire. Although no residents were harmed directly, the fire furthered the deep sense of unease and worry felt by many in the neighborhood, as it revealed the dangers posed by the many warehouses adjacent to Pleasantville.