It's been four years since an ammonium nitrate explosion in West killed 15 people and injured dozens of others, and nearly a year since investigators said the fire was intentionally set.
Since the stunning announcement last May that the fire at the West Fertilizer Company was ruled incendiary, meaning it was intentionally ignited, officials investigating the explosion have named no suspects and made no arrests.
[NATL-DFW] Explosion Rocks Fertilizer Plant During Fire
In May 2016, Rob Elder, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Houston Field Division, said the fire originated in the fertilizer seed building. He declined to elaborate on the source of ignition or if any accelerant was used, citing the open investigation.
The fire and eventual explosion covered a 37-square-block area, destroyed more than 500 homes and left a crater 93 feet wide and 12 feet deep at the site of the blast. Items of evidence were recovered as far away as 2.5 miles, Elder said.
Elder said investigators "hypothesized, considered, tested and eliminated" all "reasonable, accidental and natural fire scenarios" before drawing their conclusion.
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Bryce Reed, a paramedic for West EMS who helped evacuate residents before the blast, was found to be in possession of bomb-making materials in the days after the explosion. Investigators, however, found no evidence linking him to the fertilizer blast. After undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, Reed was sentenced to 21 months in prison in the unrelated pipe bomb case.
Elder reiterated in May 2016 that Reed was not a suspect in the West explosion and that he did his time in the pipe bomb case.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board and the state fire marshal's office previously issued reports faulting the storage of the fertilizer, emergency response and other factors in contributing to the blast, which registered as an earthquake of magnitude 2.1.
Faces of the West Fallen
Elder said in 2016 the investigation into the ammonium nitrate explosion is one of the largest fire investigations ever undertaken by the ATF. At the time investigators said they'd spent more than $2 million, some of which went to fund the scale reproduction of a portion of the West Fertilizer Co. plant to try to determine exactly what took place.
Perry Calvin, whose son was a volunteer firefighter killed in the blast, said he became angry when he learned someone intentionally set the fire that led to the explosion.
"To think someone could have done that intentionally," Calvin said, shaking his head. "It was like somebody just hit me in the face. It hurt, and the longer I thought about it the madder I got. I mean, whoever it was, I hope they catch them and put them in a place where I never have to see them. Ever."
Throughout the investigation, officials conducted more than 400 interviews, completed a fire scene examination, reviewed video and performed extensive scientific testing at the ATF Fire Research Lab in Maryland.
Elder added a full report on the blast will not be released until the conclusion of the criminal case and that murder charges, if any, would be determined after an arrest is made.
Nearly a year after making that announcement in May 2016, no arrest has been made, therefore there's been no criminal trial and no report released.
Elder said the ATF was offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the person or people responsible for the explosion and fire. The Waco-McLennan County Crime Stoppers program is offering a separate $2,000 reward for the same information.
Those with information are asked to call 254-753-4357 or submit tips online at www.wacocrimestoppers.org. All tips received will be forwarded to the ATF for follow-up.
