PLAQUEMINE - Have you seen bright flashes coming from the west side in the last few days? The Dow plant began flaring Thursday morning and will be doing so for a handful of days to come. 

Officials say flaring is a normal part of plant operations. 

"The flares are permitted control devices used to burn excess gas during normal operations, maintenance activities, and partial or complete production unit start-up and shutdown," Dow representatives said. "In these scenarios, equipment and piping need to be emptied, refilled or repressured."

"The resulting mixtures of gas and air – and gas vented during pressurization – are contained in piping and sent to the flare stack, allowing safe operation of the plant under a wide variety of conditions."

To make a long story short: if you see a massive blaze from the Plaquemine area, it's likely a result of flaring from the plant, a normal part of living in the vicinity of chemical plants.