Fire Marshal to Continue Ammonium Nitrate Tour

ATHENS, Texas (AP) — State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy is continuing to meet with local officials in Texas counties about the dangers of ammonium nitrate, the chemical that detonated in the West fertilizer explosion.

Connealy and officials from other state agencies will appear Monday afternoon in Athens, about 70 miles southeast of Dallas.

They will meet with businessmen and officials in Henderson County.

The fire marshal's office has been tasked with studying the potential dangers of ammonium nitrate in Texas following last year's explosion in West, which killed 15 people and leveled schools and homes in the tiny Central Texas town.

In the absence of new regulations, Connealy is embarking on a 68-stop tour where significant quantities of ammonium nitrate are stored.