KMCO identifies worker killed in explosion at Crosby chemical plant

Overhead as firefighters spray water at the location of the KMCO fire, that killed one and injured two on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 in Crosby. Overhead as firefighters spray water at the location of the KMCO fire, that killed one and injured two on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 in Crosby. Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close KMCO identifies worker killed in explosion at Crosby chemical plant 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

Officials at KMCO chemical plant in Crosby have identified the worker who was killed in Tuesday's explosion and fire.

James Earl "Bubba" Mangum was killed in the blast, which also critically injured two others.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said Wednesday it will be investigating the KMCO chemical plant fire.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: KMCO Crosby plant fire - Facility poses high potential for harm, long history of safety violations

The CSB is an independent agency that does not fine companies or issue violations. Instead, it conducts what is known as "root cause" investigations, determining how an incident occurred and providing recommendations to the company, government regulators and other stakeholders on how to prevent it from happening again.

The CSB decided to investigate the fire earlier this morning, officials said. CSB interim executive authority Kristen Kulinowski will be in the area Thursday, according to Hillary Cohen, the agency's communications manager.

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The incident at the KMCO chemical processing facility in Crosby was the third chemical plant fire in 17 days in the Houston area, prompting another massive emergency response and forcing nearby residents and schoolchildren to stay indoors.

The initial explosion was triggered by a flammable gas called isobutylene, authorities said. The fire was extinguished Tuesday afternoon, but emergency crews are still trying to determined what caused the gas to ignite.

WHAT WE KNOW: The company behind the KMCO Crosby plant fire

The CSB is also investigating the previous blaze at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. facility in Deer Park, which caught fire March 17 and burned for three days. No serious injuries were reported in that incident.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.