Right now, there are many police cruisers, both marked and unmarked, parked on Avenue Louis Pasteur. A large number are parked illegally, either in no-parking zones, bus stops, and even blocking crosswalks (in front of Boston Latin, a school zone.) This is an area where both the MBTA and MASCO run a large number of shuttles and need all the room they can get just make the turns. The State Police, Northborough, Danvers, and Boston were among the 'representatives' who showed up with marked cruisers. The unmarked cruisers and personal vehicles had various "I'm a cop" signs- raid jackets in windows, ticket books on dashboards, radios left in plain sight, or emergency lights.

They are attending a conference in Harvard Med's New Research Building, held by IACP, regarding Project Safe Neighborhoods. IACP is a police chief association, so there are probably a bunch of chiefs amongst these lawbreakers. Of note- there are multiple pay lots within 1-2 blocks, and public street parking within a few blocks.

Update: photos from twheaton. More welcome, especially showing plates and the signage showing they're illegally parked.

Beer goes up in flames.

Danvers resident Dan Kennedy doesn't get the fire chief's refusal to let federal chemical investigators on the explosion scene:

... Those of us who live in Danvers deserve an explanation as to why the CSB isn't being allowed in.

On Blue Mass. Group, Ernie wonders that the chief might be hiding:

... The report may conclude "Perhaps this would not have happened if the code violations had been observed by local fire inspectors during their routine inspections."

Jenglo is a nurse at a hospital near Danvers, and was on duty when the ink plant exploded. After her shift, she went over to Danvers High School to help care for residents of the New England Home for the Deaf - evacuated after the explosion:

I tried to wheel one man to a spot at a table, and the woman next to him pulled him back. Then, she started pointing at her ring finger where there was a huge, gold band and a solitaire diamond band. I asked an interpreter what was going on, and she said, "They're married. His wife doesn't know where you're taking him."

"Oh, that explains it!" I said. "Could you tell her that I'd just like to get them to breakfast?" So the interpreter did, and they got a spot at the table.

They were all wearing their pajamas. One woman brought her beta-fish with her in a bowl. She even brought its food. That really broke my heart. ...

Andrew Jacob films from within the blast zone, with original music composed the night of the explosion, "The Night Before Turkey Day Explosion:"

Suggestions from the state - money is better than physical goods.

Also:

Danversport Victim Fund
Danvers Bank
1 Conant St.
Danvers, MA 01923

Alfred Nylund lives near the ink plant. He reports:

... My windows were blown in and there was a weird glow outside like dusk, or a solar eclipse, only with an eerie red tinge. Just across the river, where the chemical plant once stood, there rose 300 feet into the sky a mushroom cloud. It's no wonder that people thought that this was the end of it all... World War III, and they ARE nuking small town America, just like "The Day After" said they would! Only no Steve Guttenberg running around like an idiot.

People wandered the streets checking to see if their neighbors were alright. Closer to the blast zone, these wandering people were the walking wounded. It was a surreal experience.

Every house on my street sustained significant damage ...

Michael Agri videos the fire - and captures commentary from other residents watching the inferno:

More video here and here.

In searching YouTube for videos of this morning's explosion, I ran across Tyler LaVite's video on the demolition of the Danvers Insane Asylum, built in 1874 but mostly torn down this year to make way for a residential development:

More photos, history and demolition updates.

Jack Pattishall posts photos taken about 10 minutes after the initial explosion at a Danvers ink plant (including the one above, re-posted with permission):

I woke up to a room filled with red flashing light. I heard the initial explosion and wasn't sure what was going on. The explosions that followed as well as the house shaking got me out of bed, running for my camera. I knew something was going on! ...

Ryan posts photos of the fire, which destroyed several homes and commercial buildings, but didn't kill anybody: