( CNN ) -- Jeff Tobola had just wrapped up another work day and picked up his son in West , Texas , when he heard the city 's fertilizer plant was on fire . Why not check it out ? `` I noticed I could see the flames , '' Tobola said . `` I went like , yeah , that 's a good sized fire , and so it just drew me a little bit closer . '' Almost too close . Tobola pulled out his cell phone to capture it on video , he hit record -- and then all hell broke loose . The plant exploded sending a deadly shock wave through the tight-knit community of 2,800 people , many of them of Czech heritage . `` What I was thinking ... as it exploded ... is , 'am I going to be able to hear when this stops ? Is this gon na burn me ? ' Because , I was like 200 yards away from it . '' When it was all over 15 people were dead , 120 homes destroyed and 200 more damaged . In the fraction of a second before the explosion , the video shows a brilliant flash of light , followed by a massive shock wave -- a dome of energy rippling from the blast . `` It definitely was the biggest explosion I 've ever seen , '' said Tobola . `` It seems like it lasted forever . '' Tobola only released the video this week on the eve of the first anniversary of the April 17 , 2013 , blast . `` It just was n't the time or place , '' he said . `` I had a lot of friends that passed in the fire . '' Texas town tighter than ever 1 year after fatal blast .
Fifteen people perished in the April 17 , 2013 , blast . The explosion destroyed 120 homes and damaged 200 more . Jeff Tobola caught the blast on his cell phone , but only released it this week .