The West Fertilizer Plant ExplosionOn April 17, 2013, the community of West, Texas suffered a devastating and heartbreaking event in the evening. After a fire broke out inside the West Fertilizer plant, a massive explosion leveled the facility, caused millions of dollars in damage to surrounding buildings and claimed the lives of more than a dozen people. Unfortunately, the majority of those killed were volunteer firefighters who responded to the fire and were unable to retreat to a safe distance before the explosion. Nearly 200 injured people were also reportedly treated in local hospitals (Wood, 2013). The explosion is believed to have been caused by a combination of the fire and the large reserves of ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the plant. This catastrophic event was immediately covered by news agencies and journalists across the country. Multiple local, state and federal agencies responded to the scene as first responders and investigators following the event. The Texas National Guard's 6th Civil Support Team was dispatched the following day to assist (Hoffman, 2013). The United States Geological Survey reported that the explosion was recorded as a magnitude 2.1 earthquake. It is said to have destroyed 140 houses and several other buildings, including a college and a retirement home (Hemenway, 2013b). Investigators said the explosion left a crater measuring nearly ten feet deep and up to 100 feet wide. President Obama issued a statement the next day: Today, our prayers are with the people of West, Texas, following last night's deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant. A close-knit community was shaken and good, hard-working people lost their lives. I would like to thank the middle of the document......erty & Casualty 360, 117(7),22.Hoffman, M. (April 18, 2013). Guard sent to test air after fertilizer explosion.Military.com News. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/04/18/guard-sent-to-test-air-after-fertilizer-explosion.htmlJonsson, P. (2013, May 10). Unexpected twists and turns in the event of a deadly explosion at a fertilizer factory in Texas. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAGM2.1 explosion - 1 km NNE of the west, Texas (April 18, 2013). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000g9yl#summary Obama, B. (2013). Statement on the West Fertilizer Company Plant Explosion in West, Texas. Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/07/us-usa-explosion-texas-idUSBRE9460GP2013... Patnaik, P. Handbook of Inorganic Chemicals. McGraw-Hill, 2002, ISBN 0-07-049439-8