Page 17 - Fighting Fire News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Hit the ground. i was trying to cover up my daughter because there was a lot of debris flying. and then after that, it was just basically search and rescue. >> reporter: the smoldering fire and fumes prevented rescue workers from getting near the plant. officials say the blast area resembles a war zone. >> massive. just like iraq. just like the murray building in oklahoma city. same kind of anhydrous exploded, so you can imagine what kind of damage we're looking at there. >> reporter: casualty numbers, john, still difficult to ascertain. we do know there are fatalities. that's been confirmed b...

That are not secured, potential for more roof cave-ins. to answer your question you asked earlier, from what i understand, the fire department feels comfortable saying they've got the fire under control. i'm assuming that they are still there watching that fire and making sure that it doesn't advance. >> and any other structures -- >> obviously, there was a school in the neighborhood. thank god that the school was out. that is something that before that school resumes, they will obviously go in. i don't have a report on whether the school caught fire. it's my understanding that there was damag...

Activity that has occurred. i have just been updated that the fire is is still ongoing at the fertilizer plant, however, it is somewhat contained and controlled. but it is still an issue based on potential for that to erupt again and cause further damage. i have also been told that the atmosphere in the general area is safe, that they don't expect that to change over the next few hours even though we are having some weather issues here. wind is shifting from one direction to the other due to a front that is coming through. or emergency management people that are here and visiting with the folk...

>> is there anything to indicate from the radio traffic that it would have been intentionally set? >> nothing at this point indicates that we have had criminal activity. however, we are absolutely not ruling that out. the investigators will keep an open mind and they will determine as they get through this investigation. >> was this an all-volunteer fire department? >> i don't have an answer to that question. i'm not sure. >> what were they fighting the fire with? >> i know they had their apparatus there and trucks -- >> was it water? >> sir, don't have the answer to that. yes, sir. >> the cas...

Businesses. we know that we have casualties. we are uncertain of the numbers. i can tell you at this point we still have people missing. we still have firefighters missing that were there working the fire. i don't like to guess but we're hearing from anywhere from 5 to 15 casualties, fatalities at this point and those numbers could rise once we are able to get into some of the homes and be able to search through rubble. >> we understand that it's still so early and our hearts go out to you there and we're sheer everyone's thoughts are on the situation with what's going on in west, texas. is th...