Most of the nearby buildings were completely flattened, while many others had their roofs and doors torn off by the blast. The blast also caused a 15-foot tidal wave that flooded the entire surrounding area. And Firehouse Magazine reports that the force of the explosion was so powerful that it even knocked two small airplanes out of the sky. The explosion launched the cargo up to 3,000 feet in the air, was heard up to 150 miles away, and was felt up to 250 miles away, according to the University of Houston. The Office of Response and Restoration writes that around nine in the morning, roughly an hour after workers first noticed the smoke, the ship exploded. This was a firefighting technique, but unfortunately, it only made the situation worse. But by the time the men were ordered to evacuate the ship, only three out of 16 boxes had been moved out of the hold. The Office of Response and Restoration writes that the ship's captain ordered the crew to batten the hatches and throw tarpaulins over them while steam was to be pumped into the ship. Workers had also started moving the small arms ammunition out of the ship, fearing an explosion. The fire department was alerted around 8:25 AM, but by the time two fire trucks arrived, the fire was heating up so quickly that water was unlikely to put out the fire.

According to the Moore Memorial Public Library, workers first tried to put the fire out using jugs of water and a fire extinguisher, but to no avail.

After removing a few small fertilizer bags, they were suddenly able to see the fire roughly 10-15 feet below. Upon entering the hold, workers noticed the smell of smoke.

City on Fire by Bill Minutaglio