TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. — Three separate lawsuits were filed Monday against that followed, forcing an evacuation of everyone within a one-mile radius of the Roseland oil business.

While lawsuits immediately following an industrial accident are expected, the details of the lawsuits filed with the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court were not immediately available. The only identifying information so far was a listing of the lawsuits under the heading “Smitty’s Supply Fire.”

At least one of the suits was filed by someone who appears to be a Roseland resident, records show, while the other plaintiffs’ connections to the area were not yet apparent.

Those lawsuits came after the initial explosion on Friday afternoon, which was followed by a series of smaller explosions that fueled a massive fire

See Full Page