From Towering Plume to Benzene Fumes, Houston’s Plight Drags On

Now that the four-day fire is out at a Houston-area chemical storage complex, the real danger has emerged.

Cancer-causing benzene wafted across suburbs of the fourth-largest U.S. city, shutting roads, schools and industrial plants, and disrupting everyday life for half a day. A major oil refinery in the heart of North America’s most important fuel-producing region told workers to stay home and the Texas National Guard deployed troops to assist with air monitoring. The benzene probably arose from charred chemical tanks as overnight winds sloshed remnants around, owner Intercontinental Terminals Co. said.

Even after the working-class suburb of Deer Park ...