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[ MUSIC
[ MUSIC ]
[ MUSIC ] >>> GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU
FOR WAKING UP WITH US, I'M CARA
SEWALL, WE ARE FOLLOWING THIS,
LOOK BEHIND ME, THIS BREAKING
NEWS OUT OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
OUR CHOPPER IS CIRCLING THE
POLY-AMERICA PLANT WHERE A
LARGE FIRE HAS BEEN BURNING FOR
SIX HOURS, WE'VE BEEN
FOLLOWING THE STORY FOR THE
LAST HOUR.
LAST HOUR. THE FIRE STARTED CLOSER TO
MIDNIGHT OVERNIGHT AND A NE+@W
THREAT WE LEARNED ABOUT, THE
FIRE COULD POSSIBLY BRING DOWN
POWER BALANCE IN THE AREA.
+@
POWER BALANCE IN THE AREA. POWER LINES IN THE AREA.
YOU CAN SEE AS OUR PHOTOGRAPHER
ZOOMS IN ON THE POWER POLE
CLOSE TO T+@HOSE FLAMES, YOU CA
SEE THIS IS WHAT OFFICIALS ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT.
CONCERNED ABOUT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE
UNFAMILIAR THE POLY-AMERICA
PLANT IS NOT FAR FROM PRES.
GEORGE BUSH PRES.
GEORGE BUSH TURNPIKE AND WE
HAVE T+@EAM COVERAGE FOLLOWING
ALL THESE ANGLES INCLUDING
TRAFFIC IMPACTS.
TRAFFIC IMPACTS. WE WILL AGAIN WITH CHRIS
SADEGHI THIS MORNING AND CHRIS
WE JUST HEARD FROM THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT MOMENTS AGO, THE
GOOD NEWS IS NO ONE HAS BEEN
+@
GOOD NEWS IS NO ONE HAS BEEN HURT.
HURT.
HURT. >>
HURT. >> Reporter: YES, WE HAVE A LOT
MORE INFORMATION THAN WE DID 30
MINUTES AGO, YOU MENTIONED NO +@
ONE HURT AND NOW WE DO KNOW
THIS IS PLASTIC THAT IS
BURNING, POLY-AMERICA PRODUCES
THOSE POLYETHYLENE PRODUCTS.
THEY SAY THEY PRODUCE THE
HIGHEST QUALIT TRASHBA IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY THOSE TRASH BAGS,
THOSE PLASTICS BURN HOT+@ AND
T+@HEY ARE NOT EASY TO
+@
PU+@T
PU+@T OUT. THERE WAS THAT LONG LINE OUTSIDE
THE POLY-AMERICA BUILDI+@NG+@ A
THAT IS WHAT APPEARS TO BE
BURNIN+@G RIGHT NOW.
JUST THAT LONG STRETCH, THE
NARROW STRETCH AND
IT
IT HAS
IT HAS BEEN BURNING SINCE MIDNIGHT.
MIDNIGHT.
MIDNIGHT. I MENTIONED NEW INFORMATION,
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE OUT
+@HERE TRYING TO GET A HANDLE O
IT BUT THEY SAY +@T+@HAT THIS F
LIKELY WILL BE BURNING INTO
TOMORROW, THIS IS HAPPENED 40
YEARS AGO AND IT WAS A SIMILAR
SITUATION WHERE THE FIRE JUST
HAD TO KEEP ON BURNING.
IT'S HARD TO PUT IT OUT WITH
THE NATURE OF THE PLASTICS,
THERE IS A TRAIN TRACK IN THE
AREA AND OTHER THAN THAT THE
BIG CONCERN THAT YOU MENTIONED @
IS THOSE POWER LINES, POWER
POLES ARE RI+@GHT THERE AND THE
DON'T WANT THOSE TO FALL.
+@
DON'T WANT THOSE TO FALL. THAT COU+@LD CREATE A WHOLE BUN
OF OTHER PROBLEMS THAT THEY ARE
WORRIED ABOUT.
WORRIED ABOUT. THEY'VE GOT ENCORE ON THE SCENE
WORKING ON THAT TRYING TO
PROTECT THOSE POWER LINES, THE
FIRE CHIEF DID SPEAK NOT TOO
LONG AGO AND MENTIONED THEY ARE
TRYING TO MOVE
SOME
SOME OF
SOME OF THESE MATERIALS AWAY TO KEEP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF FORKLIFTS
OVER THEIR MOVING STUFF, RIGHT
UP THERE IN THE FIRE AREA, NO,
THEY ARE ON EITHER END TO
CREATE A FIREBREAK AND KEEP IT
FROM SPREADING FURTHER.
THIS WILL BE BURNING LATE INTO
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. >> Reporter: THEY ARE DOING A
REVERSE 9112 HOMES IN THE AREA
LE+@TTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE
FIRE, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THEY
WANT YOU TO SELF EVACUATE SO WE
WONDERED BECAUSE OF THE NATURE
OF THE CHEMICALS IF THEY WOULD
HAVE THOSE EVACUATIONS SO THEY
ARE ASKING FOR PEOPLE +@TO SELF
EVACUATE IF THEY +@FEEL IN
BUT
BUT THEIR
BUT THEIR IMMEDIATE CONCERN IN ADDITION TO THE FIRE, THE POWER
LI+@NES THAT ARE DIRECTLY ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. I
IT. I KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
CAN CREATE A LOT OF PROBLEMS IF
THOSE POLLS COME DOWN.
>> GOOD MORNING CHRIS,+@ WE
ACTUALLY SAW THE BASIS OF ONE
OF THOSE POWER POLES BUCKLE AT
ONE POINT BUT IT HAS NOT FALLEN
YET.
YET.
YET. THIS
YET. THIS IS A LIVE LO+@OK AND YOU C
SEE HOW TALL AND HEAVY AND
SUBSTANTIAL THE POWER TOWERS
ARE, ABOUT 50 OR 60 FEET IN THE
AIR.
AIR.
AIR. +@WE
AIR. +@WE HEARD FROM THE FIRE CHIEF
SAYING THEY WERE SHUTTING DOWN
161 BECAUSE OF THE POWER LINES
COME DOWN THE FEAR IS THAT THEY
COULD GIVEN THE ROADWAY WHICH
IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, THIS
MORNING ALSO SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO
IS COMING IN.
EVERYONE IN THIS AREA HAS BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THIS
PULLING
PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE
+@
+@ ROAD
+@ ROAD EVEN TO TAKE A LOOK AND
GET VIDEO BUT THIS VIDEO WAS
TWEETED OUT BY A NEIGHBOR WHO
WAS SPEECHLESS AS THE CAMERA
RECORDED AND YOU CAN SEE THE
POWER AND SIZE OF THE FLAMES.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING PEOPLE ARE
USED TO SEEING AT ANY POINT LET
ALONE IN THE +@MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT OR THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE POWER
POLES, ENCORES WEBSITE SHOWS
OUTAGES IN THIS AREA AND WE
HAVE REACHED+@ OUT TO ENCORE TO
SEE IF THE OUTAGES ARE
+@
+@ CONNECTED TO THE FIRE OR ANY
POTENTIAL DAMAGE DONE TO THE
LINES AT THIS POINT.
THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK TO US
BUT
BUT THAT
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP ON.
AS WE STAND OUT HERE AND YOU
HEAR THE FIRE CHIEF SAYING THIS
COULD BURN INTO TOMORROW, THAT
SHOWS YOU REALLY THE POWER OF
THIS FIRE AND ALSO THE
SUBSTANCES, THE POLYETHYLENE
LIKE CHRIS WAS SAYING AND I DID
LENORE+@ -- MORE DEEP DIVE IN
THIS COMPANY SPECIALIZES IN
TRASH BAGS, THEY ALSO SAY THAT
+@THEY ARE LEADERS IN THE
RECYCLING
RECYCLING PORTION OF POLYETHYLENE INDUSTRY.
POLYETHYLENE INDUSTRY. SO REALLY WELL KNOWN AND LARGE-
COMPANY.
COMPANY.
COMPANY. UNFORTUNATELY A SUBSTANCE LIKE
POLYETHYLENE CAN BURN FOR QUITE
SOME TIME AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
SEEING.
SEEING.
SEEING. CARA BACK TO YOU FOR NOW.
>> HANN+@AH THE FIRE CHIEF WAS
CONFIDENT THE+@Y WOULD BE THERE
INTO TOMORROW AND ALSO THAT+@
THIS WAS SOMETHING YOU DO NOT
WANT TO INHALE BUT YOU WERE
TELLING ME THERE ARE A LOT OF +@
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PULLING UP
CLOSER TO GET A BETTER LOOK.
+@
CLOSER TO GET A BETTER LOOK. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING NOW?
ARE PEOPLE STILL DOING THAT?
>> Reporter: WHAT WE ARE DOING,
AS MEDIA WE ARE INCREDIBLY FAR
BACK AND WE ARE MAKING SURE WE
ARE NOT DOWNWIND OF THE FIRE.
I HAVE BEEN SEEING PEOPLE
PULLING OVER AS I WAS DRIVING
IN AND I HAD TO GO SLOWLY
BECAUSE ONE+@ OF THE ROADWAYS +@
LOOKED ALMOST LIKE AN OUTDOOR
CONCERT WITH ALL THE CARS
PULLED OVER SITTING THERE
TRYING TO WATCH.
YOU DON'T WANT TO
SIT
SIT AROUND HERE, YOU WANT TO BE AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE AND YOU
DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO BE
DOWNWIND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
THESE KINDS OF CHEMICALS.
FOR ANYONE DRIVING BY, DON'T
STOP, LET FIRST RESPONDERS DO
THEIR JOB AND REALLY WHAT YOU
WANT TO DO IS STAY SAFE AN+@D
THAT IS WHY WE ARE SO FAR BACK
AND IN THE POSITION WE ARE+@ IN
>> THAT MAKES SENSE, TRYING TO
MAKE SURE THEY GET THE TRUCKS
REFUELED AND TO GET THE FIRE
OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
>>> SO TASHARA YOU HEARD
HANNAH DESCRIBE IT AS AN
OUTDOOR CONCERT SO CLEARLY
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC.
>> CERTAINLY AND WE HAVE TOLD
FOLKS ALL MORNING LONG TO AVOID
THIS AREA, THIS IS A LIVE LOOK
AT HD CHOPPER 8 AND IT SHOWS
MASSIVE
MASSIVE THIS FIRE ON, +@IT'S BE BURNING FOR ABOUT S+@IX HOURS A
THERE'S NO TELLING WHEN IT WILL
BE CLEARED UP.
ESPECIALLY AS YOU START TO GET
ON+@ THE ROADWAYS AND YOU ARE
HEADED OUT TO WORK THIS IS NOT
THE AREA THAT YOU WANT TO BE
IN.
IN.
IN. RIGHT
IN. RIGHT NOW THE LATEST UPDATE
THAT WE DID HEAR FROM GRAND
PRAIRIE POLICE WAS THAT THEY
DID HAVE ONE 61+@ SHUT D+@OWN. @
I'M WAITING ON CONFIRMATION ON
THAT INFORMATION BUT 161 IN
THAT AREA NEAR W. MARSHALL DR.,
AS WELL AS GREAT SOUTHWEST
PARKWAY, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO
EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY IN THAT
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. SOME OF THOSE EXITS ARE
CURRENTLY SHUT DOWN SO JUST BE
CAREFUL.
CAREFUL.
CAREFUL. THIS IS WHERE THE FIRE IS, 2000
WEST MARSHALL DR. CLOSER TO THE
BUSH TURNPIKE AND YOU CAN SEE
IT'S ALREADY TURNING YELLOW,
THAT COULD BE PEOPLE
RUBBERNECKING AND LOOKING OVER
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S
GOING ON.
GOING ON.
GOING ON. BUT KEEP GOING GUYS.
360, IF THAT IS A ROUTE YOU
TYPICALLY TAKE, EXITS TO GET
OFF IN THAT AREA WILL BE
CLOSED.
CLOSED.
CLOSED. RIGHT NOW THE LANES ON 360 ARE
OPEN AT SPUR 303 AND THE GREAT
SOUTHWEST PARKWAY, THOSE ARE
AREAS YOU WANT TO AVOID THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE WFAA APP
ON YOUR PHONE IT'S A GREAT TIME
+@
ON YOUR PHONE IT'S A GREAT TIME TO DOWNLOAD IT, THIS IS A
DEVELOPING STORY SO WE WILL
CONTINUE PUTTING UPDATES ON THE
FIRE AND TRAFFIC ON OUR APP ,
ROOTED IN THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE
AND GREG I WANT TO SEND IT TO
YOU BECAUSE I HAD A LIVE LOOK
ON MY CAMERA AND YOU CAN SEE
SOME OF THAT SMOKE ON RADAR.
>> YES WE'VE BEEN SEEING THAT
SMOKE PLUME, PROBABLY NOT AS
LARGE AS EARLIER BUT YOU +@CAN
SEE THE AREA IN ARLINGTON
PUSHING DOWN TOWARD ARLINGTON
FROM GRAND PRAIRIE AND
INTERSECTING THE WATSON ROAD
AND HIGHWAY 360.
THAT IS THE SMOKE PLUME THAT
THE NORTHEAST WIND IS PUSHING
DOWN TOWARD THE ARLINGTON AREA.
THEY HAVE BEEN KEEPING
+@TEMPERATURES COOL, THOSE WINS
SO ON A SMALL SCALE IT IS
IMPACTING THE WEATHER WITH THE
TEMPERATURE IN ARLINGTON BEING
QUITE A BIT WARMER THAN THE
SURROUNDING AREA WITH THAT
SM+@OKE PLUME HANGING
WE
WE HAVE
WE HAVE NORTHEAST WINDS AND IT +@
WE HAVE NORTHEAST WINDS AND IT HAS COOLED OFF A BIT IN
ARLINGTON, IT WAS 79 LAST HOUR