By ANFO are you referring to Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (Diesel) Mixture? I believe the plant in West was using Anhydrous Ammonia. Which becomes a real large problem quickly when mixed with water. My chemistry is weak. But I seem to recall it makes Ammonium Hydroxide, which is volatile and highly corrosive to metals. Tanks included.
The Emergency Response Guide for Anhydrous Ammonia suggests monitor nozzles from a good distance and a high water flow rate. (Surround and Drown the Ole Timers used to say). That procedure doesn't work on everything though.
**After doing a little background on the plant. I see that they did have Nitric Acid on site for making ammonium nitrate- fertilizer. I worked a plant explosion a few years back where they were using nitric acid and another chemical. That particular plant had lost it's air conditioning that day, but they continued to work. Right up until the nitric acid got too warm and exploded. The ensuing chemical mixture ate the bottom of the first firefighter's boots off. The Nitric acid they were using, back then, Had to be kept cooled and air conditioned.
It becomes very unstable when it gets warm. ( Please don't take my comments as Any indication of what occurred at West.)
The current weather forecast is for a wind shift between 5 and 7 AM this morning. That's probably going to switch the winds from S to the W or NW with the cold front.
