Published: 11/23/2006
Day 1: Finding cause could take days
By Paul LeightonStaff writer
DANVERS - Investigators said it could take days to determine the cause of the chemical plant explosion that damaged 70 homes and displaced as many as 200 people early yesterday morning.
Firefighters sprayed a foam blanket on the smoldering ruins of the building late yesterday afternoon in an attempt to smother any remaining flames. Once the fire is completely out, Danvers Fire Chief James Tutko said, investigators can begin the process of combing through the rubble to look for clues.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said there is no reason to suspect foul play.
"There are no red flags. There were no threats," Coan said. "There was no indication that this was anything but a robust business."
Tutko said there is a possibility that the cause will never be determined because of the extent of the damage.
The building where the explosion occurred was home to two chemical manufacturing businesses, CAI Inc. and Arnel Inc. The companies make cleaning solvents and ink by mixing "volatile" and "highly flammable" chemicals, Mike Nalipinski of the Environmental Protection Agency said.
Coan said the force of the blast, which shattered windows a mile away in downtown Danvers and was heard as far away as New Hampshire, was remarkable in its scope. But, he said, even a relatively small chemical plant can cause a huge blast if the chemicals are mixed improperly.
"At times it doesn't take that much volume of chemicals when they're mixed to cause a violent explosion," Coan said.
Fire alarm sounds
Tutko said a fire alarm in the building on Water Street went off at 2:46 a.m., followed seconds later by an explosion. Residents said there were as many as four explosions, followed by a huge wall of flames that rose above the rooftops of nearby homes.
"I didn't know if we were having an earthquake or a plane was hitting us," said Linda Carney, who lives on Bates Street with her husband, Paul. "As I'm running downstairs, I heard neighbors screaming. I didn't know if it was a terrorist attack."
Residents described surreal scenes inside their homes: Of being awakened from their sleep to see windows shattering, doors ripping from their hinges, walls collapsing, ceilings falling and even furniture flying across the room.
Kelly Lord, who lives at 12 Bates St., across the street from the chemical plant, said she was awakened by the explosion, then was struck by a window frame and her bedroom bureau. The bureau hit her in the face, creating a cut that required butterfly stitches on the bridge of her nose.
