ITC Deer Park fire: Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia says he's frustrated with company's response
As a fire rages into its third day at Intercontinental Terminals Company's Deer Park facility, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia is urging residents to heed all the warnings county officials are sharing.
Many people are concerned about the thick, black plume of smoke billowing into the air. The fire at ITC intensified overnight, now burning eight tanks.
While Garcia said there's no immediate public health concern, he told ABC13 that he is frustrated with ITC's response to the fire.
"I met with them early on and was urging them to take the opportunity to ask for all help as possible," Garcia said.
"This is an ITC event. It's up to them to decide how to expand their response. I spoke to the CEO this morning. He's calling for additional out-of-state resources, which is all fine and well. My frustration was some of these resources could have been brought much earlier," Garcia continued.
The commissioner said he's working with the mayors of the cities involved to keep people and property out of harm's way.
"But I'm proud of firefighters who are putting themselves in harm's way for our sake. That's part of my frustration. I want to see this put to rest. I want to make sure no stone goes unturned," Garcia told ABC13.
Garcia says that based on the amount of chemicals at the company, he suspects that the fire could burn even longer.
Over the last few days, some people have also reported seeing black debris falling from the sky as a result of the fire.
Garcia said public health officials recommend avoiding touching the ashes, and don't touch your eyes. Also, wash your hands effectively.
"Keep track of your pets and their drinking water as well. Hopefully, we can put this behind us," Garcia said.
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