In the aftermath of a Tuesday pre-dawn fire that completely gutted or damaged at least 17 Mexico-bound trucks filled with highly-flammable refined petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel while they waited to leave the Port of Brownsville, some port officials say that the reason they were piled up there was because Texas Department of Public Safety troopers prevented them from leaving citing weather conditions.
On Tuesday morning a slight drizzle was falling and, apparently, this was deemed to be hazardous for the mostly permitted overweight trucks to be allowed to travel to the international bridges in Brownsville. Pending an investigation, some port officials and truck company owners who requested anonymity are pointing to the hazardous combination of more than a score of fuel-laden two- and three-axle trucks with their motors running and spewing hot exhaust piled up in a yard that they think apparently sparked the fire.
On Tuesday morning a slight drizzle was falling and, apparently, this was deemed to be hazardous for the mostly permitted overweight trucks to be allowed to travel to the international bridges in Brownsville. Pending an investigation, some port officials and truck company owners who requested anonymity are pointing to the hazardous combination of more than a score of fuel-laden two- and three-axle trucks with their motors running and spewing hot exhaust piled up in a yard that they think apparently sparked the fire.
"They're diesel and gasoline tanker trucks," Brownsville Fire Department Chief Jarrett Sheldon told KRGV-Channel 5. "They're highly flammable, highly regulated...it's under investigation what caused this fire.
Videos posted on social media showed flames shooting to 30 to 40 feet high over the parked trucks and semi-trailers lined up along the road to the fuel depots.
"The truckers weren't allowed to leave the port because the DPS didn't allow them citing the drizzle," said one. "So as a result you had them all piled up just waiting for a spark. That's what happened."
Others speculated on social media – without providing proof – that the damp and cold weather had contributed to the ignition of the fire.
If so, this would be just the latest consequence of the role DPS has played on the truck traffic between neighboring Matamoros ad the Port of Brownsville. For years port commissioners and other local officials have chafed under the apparent policy of the State of Texas targeting that traffic for onerous, and at times apparently capricious enforcement of traffic laws.
The movement of those trucks, however, is subject to control of the DPS.
"That's why the trucks couldn't move," said a truck company owner. "The drivers had to stay within the boundaries of the port until they got the go ahead to move by the DPS."
Just last May 4, the Port of Brownsville, in a letter to the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, stated
its "concern and disagreement with the DPS's disruptive and costly inspections of all commercial vehicles entering Texas from Mexico, specifically at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville."
They said that DPS had told them that the truck traffic could cross the river through the Los Indios Free Trade Bridge instead to avoid the inspections, even though it would increase their costs.
In the letter, the port states that the heavy-handed inspections by the DPS has caused "backups and congestion at this port of entry and surrounding communities."
"The Port of Brownsville is responsible for the movement of essential commodities like steel, wind energy components refined petroleum products, grains, and cement supporting the economic resiliency of our region and state," the letter states. "However, then unnecessary delays caused by inspections at the Veterans International Bridge are drastically slowing the movement of commodities which are crucial to a wide range of industries across the Rio Grande Valley."
"Ideally, these trucks should have been able to move their loads to the border, but the DPS prevented them from moving, bottling them up and creating a congestion of the trucks loaded with fuel with their motors running and exhaust pumping into the enclosed space," said the truck company owner. "It was a recipe for disaster. Good thing no one was hurt."
13 comments:
The mexican trucks and drivers are very unsafe. Just like the one that blew up near Rancho Viejo a couple of months ago. They have no business driving around in the USA. Hopefully President Trump will put an end to them crossing. If they can’t follow the rules and standards of Texas l, stay in Mexico. Thank you DPS for doing your job.
Oh, oh, here's the conspiracy theory? Montoya, what if they were Mexico trucks? Any good reporter would have asked that question? We all know that Mexico trucks are not regulated like they are in the US, and the US can only monitor so many? Let's get it right!
They need to copy the model of McDonald's and Whataburger.... when there is a long line of customers, the employees go out and take orders
Here there is just a long line of trucks causing havoc from International to Los Tomates bridge.
There is not personnel (police, agents, port officials) helping the trucks move.
They need more communication: How many trucks can be checked per hour? How many staff do you have working? Then the Port of Brownsville can let 5 trucks go into the City when they know there is space for them at the Bridge.
Ask for Volunteers: people that can direct traffic, stop trucks to let cars go by etc
Many people will volunteer: at night, in early morning, in the afternoon (when this problem begins)
DPS...COWARDS Of UVALDE
The bigger story is not here. First, depending on where you were in Brownsville, it was a drizzle or heavy rain. But the story no one even the national news will not report. The US is the largest exporter of processed crude in the world, because countries like Mexico and Venezuela sends their crude to be processed in Texas. Meanwhile Texas crude remains in line to be processed after foreign crude which brings a bigger profit. Yes, gas at Sams is down to $2.55 a gallon. But I bet it would be even lower if all Texas crude had to be processed before foreign crude.
Pat Auhmada for Port Commissioner…. Think about it Pat.
No pagaron piso al port commish
Truck from Mexico are always breaking down on 48 through international.
I'm reminded of a local story from a few years ago where a woman blamed a drunk driver for her house burning down. Did the drunk driver crash into her house? No, he wrecked into a utility pole and caused a power outage. The woman set a lit candle on top of a stack of old newspapers and her house burned down. Juan, your story has the same stupid logic for cause and effect.
All good responses. The reason that DPS puts a stop on these trucks is because it could be worse, if they run during rain or fridged weather due to the drivers not being able to stop quick enough, causing an accident that would almost surely injure or kill more people if they are on the streets of Brownsville. These trucks usually run overloaded to move more product. So I'm glad that DPS put a stop to those trucks before more accidents can occur during this type of weather! Those companies won't lose money and probaly save money from lawyers (that we see on TV every day) if they were to hit a vehicle. In this case nobody was hurt so it was a good decision.
(Pat Auhmada for Port Commissioner…. Think about it Pat.)
LOL!!!
Mexican Trucks are well maintained as compared to the Canadian border.
Where is all the money from the port of Brownsville going??..Because cities with ports must be wealthy...Where is the money??
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