WATCH: Deer Park, Texas, petrochemical fire caused by years of federal and state neglect

Investigative reporting finds locals were put at risk by lax a safety response in the 2019 blaze.

In 2019, the sudden outbreak of a chemical fire wreaked havoc on the community of Deer Park, Texas.

A closer look revealed years of neglect leading up to the fire and lax safety measures in its wake.

This video draws from from the following investigative reporting by Public Health Watch and the Texas Tribune:

For years, the EPA and Texas ignored warning signs at a chemical storage site. Then an inferno erupted

Toxic benzene lingered for weeks after shelter-in-place warnings ended following 2019 Houston-area chemical fire

At a heated public hearing, residents urge state agency to reject permit for chemical facility that burned in 2019

Deer Park chemical fire in 2019 could have been prevented, federal investigation finds

Sick African American man coughing holding paper napkin near mouth suffering from respiratory ailment

Credit: Prostock-studio/BigStock Photo ID: 400400966

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