Dow says fire is out at Plaquemine plant. Investigation into explosions is planned

PLAQUEMINE, La. (BRPROUD) — Dow Louisiana Operations said a fire at the Plaquemine plant’s Glycol 2 Unit was fully extinguished around 5 a.m. Sunday. Other parts of the Dow Chemical plant were not disrupted, per the statement.

About 9:15 p.m. Friday, July 14, multiple explosions were reported, followed by a fire in the facility. No outside damage has yet been reported.

“We are continuing to assess the incident and will have more information about the products involved, the impact on operations and next steps when it is available,” Dow said.

There was a half-mile shelter-in-place order issued just after the explosions, which was lifted early Saturday morning.

Dow said the company will keep monitoring air quality, as is the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and a third-party company, but no “community impact” has been detected.

“Dow is committed to high operational and safety practices that consistently meet or exceed regulations and applicable laws,” an update posted over the weekend read. “Dow and local officials will conduct a full review to understand the cause of this incident.”