The American Plant Food Corporation in Bartlett, Tex., near Round Rock reportedly caught fire around 8:30 p.m. on August 20, which is when the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department received a call to come put it out at 9901 North Highway 95.
According to Fire Chief Steven Wentrcek, crews arrived at the scene to find the facility "fully engulfed" in flames. The fire was so severe that the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department sought help from numerous other departments in surrounding areas.
Firefighters initially worked to contain a six-acre grass fire that ignited as a result of the fire from the plant. Then, after that was put out, fire crews let the facility itself finish burning out overnight, after which it was finally contained.
(Related: Earlier this year, a whistleblower came forward with claims that the U.S. government is trying to starve out America by destroying the nation's food infrastructure.)
Bartlett fertilizer plant was essential for growing food in Central Texas
Because of voluminous hazardous and highly flammable chemicals at the plant, firefighters decided it was best to not try to extinguish the flames with water as they typically would for other types of fires.
"Hazard crews were on site all night, including Temple who was monitoring overnight until Round Rock hazard crews came to relieve them," Wentrcek told the media.
The other fire agencies that helped deal with the fire included Holland, Granger, Hutto, Jarrell and Georgetown, as well as Bell and Williamson Counties – Bartlett is split between the two.
"This is a pure definition of mutual aid, especially for a small town like ours," said Bartlett Mayor Chad Mees.
Despite its severity, Highway 95, which runs alongside the plant, remains open. Bartlett Independent School District likewise remains open and has not canceled classes as air quality has been deemed as "good."
"We did make the determination to keep school in session because we felt there was no danger for the children or the citizens in the area," said Wentrcek about the decision.
Hazmat crews continue to clean up the site of the fire while firefighters work to clear away all the smolder.
Both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Emergency Management were on the scene as well, with TCEQ testing air quality and providing guidance to fire crews about how best to protect the surrounding environment.
The American Plant Food Corporation currently operates 11 different locations across Texas – well, 10 now that the Bartlett plant, which first opened in the late 1990s, is out of commission for the foreseeable future.
Mayor Mees stressed at a press conference that the Bartlett fertilizer plant is essential to Central Texas, which relies on its products to grow food.
Prior to the fire, the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department had actually had a meeting about what to do in the event the American Plant Food Corporation facility ever caught fire.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the Williamson County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating what caused it. We are told that it could take up to a month to fully clean up the damaged site.
"I've never seen fire that high, but other than that they took care of it okay," said Bartlett resident Anthony Fischer.
Will America survive the ongoing government-led assault on our food infrastructure? Stay tuned at Collapse.news.
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