WEST, Texas — Saturday marked an emotional day for the City of West as people gathered to honor the lives lost 10 years ago during the West Fertilizer Company explosion.
A moment of silence was held for a night that many won't forget.
"Catastrophes happen in seconds," Texas State Sen. Brian Birdwell said. "The recovery takes years and in some cases decades."
Firefighters and emergency responders had 22 minutes at the West fertilizer plant before the explosion.
"They tell me that I was actually the closest to the explosion that actually survived the explosion," Robert Payne, West Volunteer Fire Department Chaplain, said.
Payne was one of the many who responded on April 17, 2013.
"I was knocked out so I don't remember the explosion at all or the aftermath of it," Payne said. "But, so many of my fellow members who were there and they do remember everything still have a hard time dealing with it."
One of Payne's colleagues was Frank Patterson, who was the Emergency Management Coordinator for McLennan County at the time.
"We transported 262 patients that night through that whole evening," Patterson said. "That was the hardest thing. You never knew when it was going to end."
Even 10 years later, the tragedy lingers.
"It touches me because 10 years. A lot of times you forget after 10 years," Mayor Tommy Muska said. "We don't ever want to forget these 15 people who are memorialized at this memorial and lost their lives that day."
The days, months and years after the blast were spent rebuilding what was lost.
"This city truly recovered in a fashion that is incredible. New houses, new neighborhoods, new growth. New economic disparity," Patterson said. "It truly is incredible to see."
Today, West is a city full of life. However, the decade-old tragedy will always be remembered, just like the fallen heroes.
At the ceremony, the National Fallen Firefighters Association presented a $100,000 check to the city to help preserve the Fallen Heroes Monument and work to maintain the community.
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