2020 Houston explosion
Industrial disaster in Houston, Texas in 2020
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On January 24, 2020, a building at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in northwest Houston, Texas, United States, exploded at 4:24 a.m.[1][2] Debris was scattered as far as one-half mile (0.8 km),[3] and approximately 200 nearby houses and businesses were damaged.[4] Officials asked local residents to search for debris and body parts to assist with an investigation into the explosion's cause.[5] An absence of zoning ordinances separating industrial areas from residences is known to prevail in the vicinity of the explosion.[1]
 | |
| Date | January 24, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Location | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 29.8369°N 95.5456°W |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 18 |
| Property damage | 200 nearby buildings damaged |
Two deaths were reported on the morning of the incident.[6] Both men were employees of Watson Grinding and Manufacturing.[5] A third man, whose home was impacted by debris from the explosion, died from his injuries on February 5.[7] Eighteen people "self reported" to emergency rooms for minor injuries.[8] Forty-eight people sought shelter from Red Cross,[9] and two schools in the vicinity were closed for the day.[10] Some homes near the facility were blasted off their foundations, and some had collapsed ceilings, shattered windows, and bent garage doors.[11]
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives personnel assisted the Houston Fire and Police Departments with the investigation. Multiple lawsuits have already been filed.[12]
Watson Grinding and Manufacturing filed for bankruptcy in February 2020.[13]
Cause
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released its final investigation report on June 29, 2023. According to the report, the explosion was caused by a disconnected propylene hose that caused propylene to accumulate in the coating building. Contributing to the leak was the Coating Supervisor's failure to close the shutoff valves of the propylene tank supplying the building.[14] Another contributing factor was the leak detection system, which was disconnected from its control computer. When functioning normally, it would have alerted the operator and automatically shut the propylene supply valves.
The accumulated propylene was ignited after a worker entered the building and turned on lighting.[15] The USCSB prepared a video on the incident and released it on their YouTube channel on 25 February 2025.[16]