[05/24/02]The explosion and flash fire at Rouse Polymerics has claimed the life of a fourth person.

Roy Deaton, 50, 2501 Culkin Road, died at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Mississippi Firefighters Memorial Burn Center in Greenville precisely a week after the industrial accident.

Conditions of two others injured May 16 at the rubber-recycling plant in south Vicksburg have been upgraded from critical.

In all, 12 men were injured or killed in the blast that remains under investigation.

C. Theodore “Teddy” Smith, 40, of Vicksburg, the plant’s purchasing manager, died early May 17. Tywayne Croskey, 24, of Port Gibson, died Tuesday, and Alfred Harrison, 42, of Tallulah, died early Wednesday.

John Davenport, 27, of Vicksburg, remained in critical condition this morning, spokesman Robby Scucchi said.

Three others undergoing specialized treatment in Greenville, Antonio Hamlin, 21, of Port Gibson; Patrick Rader, 29, of Vicksburg; and George Stewart, 33, of Fayette were listed in fair condition.

Rader, 29, of Vicksburg, was transferred there from River Region Medical Center Wednesday afternoon so he could recover at the regional burn center, a hospital spokesmen said. The conditions of Stewart and Hamlin were up from critical since the day before, and Rader’s was up from critical on his arrival.

The condition of Walter Doss Jr., 28, of Vicksburg, was listed this morning as good, up from fair the day before.

One victim was treated and released the night of the fire, and two others were discharged from River Region Medical Center on Sunday and Wednesday.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the lead agency investigating, Chief State Fire Marshal Millard Mackey said.

He said his agency’s file on the fire was closed.

“They did have a small fire in a dryer that led to a massive explosion,” Mackey said. “We responded at the time of the fire. The next day we were able to determine that the plant was in full operation when the fire started.”

Especially since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, explosions are being investigated with extra care, Mackey said. Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms personnel were also called to help in the investigation, Mackey said. “We have a federal-state arson task force,” he said.

Mackey added that insurance-industry investigators are also working to pinpoint the cause of the fire.

Vicksburg Fire Chief Keith Rogers said all information he was receiving tended to confirm his beliefs about where and how the fire started, and he anticipated that OSHA’s findings would verify his department’s. He said OSHA was still working on the fire, calling in explosive experts and others to eliminate from consideration other possible causes as certainly as they could.

Rouse’s products are powdered rubber, made from grinding and drying scrap rubber and used in the manufacture of tires and other products.