The West Fertilizer Co., site of a massive explosion last monththat killed 15 people and damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes,two schools, and multiple businesses, carried $1 million inliability insurance, PC360 has confirmed.

The coverage was provided by United States Fire Insurance Co.,The Dallas Morning News first reported. United States FireInsurance Co. is a member of Morristown, N.J.-based Crum &Forster, which is part of the Fairfax Group.

Daniel Keeney, a spokesman for the Adair Grain Inc., says he isnot aware of any other insurance for the West, Texas fertilizerretailer. Adair Grain, owned by the Adair family of West, is theparent company of West Fertilizer, which is a $4 million/yearoperation, Keeney adds.

A spokesman at Crum & Forster could not immediately bereached for comment.

Several lawsuits have been filed against Adair Grain since theforce of the April 17 blast leveled some surrounding homes.Multiple companies within the W.R. Berkley Corp. group of insurers are among those who have filedsuit, claiming negligence on the part of the Adairs. Thesubrogation suit looks to recoup money paid by Berkley to insuredsincluding individuals, a bank, a car dealership, a TV and appliancestore, a bakery, an auto parts store, two churches and aninn.

Kenney says plaintiffs' attorneys and those representing theAdairs met late last week to go over the insurance particulars andlet the attorneys know the limitations in coverage.

Paul A. Grinke of McCathern in Dallas, Berkley's attorney, couldnot immediately be reached for comment.

The Insurance Council of Texas estimates insured property losses are $100 million. The totalincludes estimated insurance payments for the plant, 140 homes, anapartment complex, a middle school and a retirementcenter.

The cause of the blast is still under investigation, butauthorities say the highly volatile chemical compound ammoniumnitrate was found at the site of the fertilizer retailer. Possiblyhundreds of tons of the fertilizer were stored at theplant.

The Texas Department of Insurance says four state agencies withsome oversight of these types of facilities—State Health Services,Texas State Chemist, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, andTexas Agriculture Department—do not require general liability aWest Fertilizer-type operation. “Companies that carry insurance arenot required to report that information to us,” TDI says in astatement.

The insurance department says it cannot comment on theinvestigation but it did quash reports of anhydrous ammonium beinginvolved in the explosion. The tanks were not involved inthe explosion or fire, TDI says.

The Adairs have been cooperating with investigators, saysKeeney. The family has been visible in West and have attended thefunerals of those killed in the blast.

“They're heartbroken. They realize they are not going to be inthis business any longer,” Keeney says of the Adairs. “Right nowthey want to sincerely figure out what happened and encourage anyactions that would minimize the likelihood of something like thisever happening again.”