Today’s safety disaster anecdote is about a fire that instead of being put out was allowed to burn itself out. This is about the Environmental Quality (EQ) Hazardous Waste Plant explosion and fire which took place on October 5, 2006 in Apex, North Carolina. While there were no fatalities in this industrial accident, around 17,000 people living in the surrounding areas were forced to evacuate because of the chemical smoke. Around 30 people also sought medical attention because of nausea and respiratory distress.