3 Killed, 17 Injured in Fire, Blast at Chemical Plant

WEST HELENA, Ark. —  A pesticide-fueled fire at a chemical packaging plant sparked an explosion Thursday, killing three firefighters who became trapped beneath concrete blocks in a thick cloud of poisonous smoke.

Sixteen firefighters and one civilian were injured in the explosion at BPS Inc., which packages agricultural pesticides and herbicides, officials said. Mayor Riley Porter said a fourth firefighter was missing.

The area of the explosion was inaccessible hours after the fire and officials said the number of casualties could rise. A smoldering bag of pesticide caught fire and triggered the explosion, authorities said.

Doctors were giving firefighters and residents atropine, an antidote to ward off the effects of the poisons, said Dr. David Bourne of the state Department of Health. The shots had to be repeated every half an hour as long as exposure to the fumes continued, he said.