<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Late yesterday, state officials released the results of their investigation of the explosion and fire at an unregulated and rarely inspected fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas. And, to borrow a phrase that seems to be all the rage inside the Beltway, where the courtier press is ordering up Nothingburgers by the dozen, the results raise as many questions as they answer. The State Fire Marshal&amp;#039;s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have identified three possible causes of the fire that caused the deadly April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West, two accidental and the third intentional, officials said during a late afternoon news conference Thursday. Investigators determined that the fire that led to the powerful explosion was caused either by a battery-powered golf cart that was kept in the fertilizer and seed building in which the fire started, the building&amp;#039;s 120-volt electrical system or by an intentional criminal act, said Robert Champion, special agent in charge of the Dallas office of the ATF. Investigators recovered only a brake pad and an axle from the golf cart, which was not enough to allow them to determine whether the cart&amp;#039;s battery could have ignited the fire, but officials said there&amp;#039;s precedent for that happening. Which, of course, did not stem the crocodile tears from the politicians who have made their careers on deregulating industries, and defanging the inspection process. Gov. Rick Perry issued a statement Thursday evening expressing his appreciation to the investigators. &amp;quot;While the cause of the fire remains undetermined and the investigation continues, this tragedy has shown the world the definition of compassion, from volunteer firefighters across the state rushing to help their colleagues at the scene, to friends, neighbors and Texans stepping in to help those who lost so much in the blast,&amp;quot; he said. Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz issued a joint statement thanking the investigators. &amp;quot;Our prayers remain with those struggling to recover and mourning the loss of loved ones. While the cause remains undetermined, it is our sincere hope that at the end of the investigation, the residents of West can find closure and begin to heal,&amp;quot; they said. Gee, thanks. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a18539/the-big-bang-in-texas/>