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Foundry Ka-Boom Injures Ten in Illinois

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Two Workers in Critical Condition

AN EXPLOSION IN A STEEL CASTINGS plant in Granite City, Illinois, Thursday injured at least ten people, two of them critically.

The blast occurred around 8 am in the Cleaning and Finishing department of the American Steel Foundries facility – Amsted Rail - which makes railroad car undercarriages. wheel assemblies, and related parts.

The Belleville News-Democrat reported:

The two men critically injured were airlifted to Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur, Mo. A third person was airlifted from Granite City to Missouri, according to Erin Echelmeyer, spokeswoman for Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City. However, Echelmeyer did not know further details about the third airlifted worker's whereabouts.

KMOV-TV

A total of 10 injured workers were transported to Gateway on Thursday morning, Echelmeyer said. Of these 10, three were airlifted and seven were treated and released from Gateway.

United Steelworkers of America Local 1063 President Robert Lott, who represents workers at the plant, said he was in the building and standing about 100 yards from the scene of the explosion when it happened. Lott said Reginald Golliday, who has worked at the railroad carriage manufacturing plant for the past 17 years, may have suffered two broken legs, a large gash on his forehead and internal injuries. He also said that Danny Wilson, a 10-year veteran at the plant, suffered a broken leg and internal injuries.

KMOV-TV

All of the injured employees were standing on a wooden platfore or loading dock and the early indications are that there was a gas leak beneath the platform that ignited and caused the blast.  KTVI-TV also reported:

The force of the blast sent workers flying through the air. Clifford McIntyre, a steel worker, went to help his fellow employees who were injured. He said, "All I heard was an explosion when I went back to see what was going on I seen a couple of my Union brothers out and on fire."

Fire Chief Tim Connolly said, "They said there was a gas explosion." United Steel Union V.P. Bobby Washington was working inside the plant. "When the explosion happened they don’t know what it was but it blew workers from their job and they were damaged and burning," he said.

Workers became one, rescuing the injured. McIntyre said, "First reaction was to put him out with my jacket and then another union brother came over with a fire extinguisher and put him out."

KTVI-TV also posted this video report:

 

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The Amsted Rail foundry employs approx. 800 people.  (Google Satellite View)

Hat tip:  Mark D.

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Posted by on March 8, 2013 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Ka-Boom Rocks Oilfields Service Company in Utah

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Massive Explosion and Fire Levels One Building,
Damages Eight Others.

A HUGE EXPLOSION THAT ROCKED an industrial park near Vernal, Utah, was felt for as many as 30 miles away early Saturday morning.

The blast occurred shortly after midnight at the Adler Hot Oil Services headquarters and immediately leveled one building while heavily damaging eight others.  Two homes in the area also received some damage.

Vernal Express / Hughes photo

The Vernal Express is reporting:

The explosion in the Ashley Valley Industrial Park destroyed one building and damaged eight others, said Chief Todd Wallis, with the Jensen Fire Department. There were no reports of anyone hurt or killed by the explosion.

The large blast shook much of the Basin and flooded the central dispatch center with calls from residents. It occurred around 12:15 a.m. Crews arrived on the scene and immediately began searching the area surrounding the explosion.

An evacuation order was issued for everybody within a half-mile radius of the explosion. Fire crews brought the blaze under control within hours, but the evacuation order was expected to remain in place until noon Saturday, as crews are still dealing with a leaky propane tank at the scene.

The leaking tank is reported to be a 1,000 gal. propane tank.

The fire was knocked down after "a few" hours, but units were being kept on the scene until the propane tank problem was mitigated.  It was expected to be resolved by 1 pm Mountain.  The tank is believed to have been damaged by the explosion and not a cause of the accident.

KSTU-TV also reported:

No word on what caused the explosion, but Uintah County Emergency Manager Tal Ehlers told Fox 13 there are no fatalities or injuries. Everyone living within a 1/2 mile radius of the blast site was evacuated.

The Red Cross has a temporary shelter on stand-by at Vernal Middle School at 721 West 100 South in Vernal. We talked with Red Cross Director of Communications Teresa Zundel who issued this statement: "The Red Cross works around the clock to help Utahns in need. We have a shelter open for evacuees at Vernal Middle School. People can come for food, shelter or information. We will be here in Vernal as long as we are needed."

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Posted by on March 2, 2013 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat • Tagged: , , ,

Building Ka-Boom in Mexico City Kills 2 Dozen +

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Pemex Headquarters Basement

A LARGE EXPLOSION in the basement of the 51-story headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company Thursday afternoon killed at least 25 people and injured more than 100 others.

The Pemex Tower is Mexico City's tallest building.

The blast shook the ground around the area causing a temporary panic among office workers who poured into the street.  It caused significant structural damage to the aging skyscraper and is believed to have occurred in the area where a large gas-fueld boiler was located.

Pemex is the government-owned monopoly that controls all the petroleum and natural gas production and retail sales in the country.  It is famous for its widespread union corruption, managerial ineptitude, and continuing string of devastating accidents like this one.  Over the past decades thousands have been killed by explosions, fires and assorted accidents.

AP

It is not yet known what caused this embarrassing ka-boom right in their own headquarters.  Search and rescue workers are still picking through the debris and concrete chunks looking for any possible victims this morning.  Reuters is reporting:

Not long after the blast, President Enrique Pena Nieto was at the scene, vowing to discover how it happened.

"We will work exhaustively to investigate exactly what took place, and if there are people responsible, to apply the force of the law on them," he told reporters before going to visit survivors in hospital.

Shortly after midnight, at least 46 victims were still being treated in hospital, the company said.

Pemex said the blast would not affect operations, but concern in the government was evident as top military officials, the attorney general and the energy minister joined Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong for a late news conference.

"I have issued instructions to the relevant authorities to convene national and international experts to help in the investigations," Osorio Chong said. He later noted that the number of casualties could still climb.

Whatever caused it, the deaths and destruction will put the spotlight back on safety at Pemex, which only a couple of hours before the explosion had issued a statement on Twitter saying the company had managed to improve its record on accidents.

EuroNews has posted this early video report:

 

As the search and investigations continue, there is no further information available that is reliable.

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Posted by on February 1, 2013 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

River of Burning Oil Takes Down Several “Factories” in South Africa

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It All Started With a Ka-Boom

AN ACCIDENTAL FIRE IN AN INDUSTRIAL burner led to a large explosion at a biofuel plant in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday.  The ka-boom ignited leaking fuel and started a "river of fire" running through the industrial park that destroyed three plants.

IOL News reports from Pretoria:

A massive explosion at a biofuel factory in Pretoria North on Wednesday sent about 200 000 litres of burning oil in a lava-like stream into neighbouring factories, destroying everything in their path.

A cloud of black smoke could be seen from kilometres away as Tshwane Emergency Services personnel worked tirelessly to extinguish the rapidly spreading fire, which broke out at Marleda Oil.

Tshwane emergency services spokesman Johan Pieterse said the fire began at about 2.30pm. The cause was unclear but it was suspected a burner caught fire, leading to the explosion, he said.

Pieterse explained oil freely flowed from the containers after the explosion. The fire spread quickly, destroying several other factories as well as cars and a flatbed truck. "As the oil spread, it caught fire and it was difficult to contain. We had seven fire trucks and three water tankers attending," he said.

No injuries have been reported, though.

Read the full report from IOL News HERE.

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Posted by on October 25, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat • Tagged: , , ,

Explosion Triggers Fire at Oklahoma Trucking Company

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Two Injured – Cause Still Unknown

AN EXPLOSION AT AN ELK CITY, Oklahoma, oil tank storage depot Saturday started a large fire that had to be left to burn itself out.

Oklahoman

The cause of the explosion next to the Hodges Trucking Company is not yet determined.  Two employees were injured, one of them needing to be flown to a burn center.  It is believed that the storage tanks may be part of the trucking company.  The Daily Elkcitian is reporting:

Two civilians were injured. One was taken to Great Plains Regional Medical Center and later released, and another was flown by helicopter to an Oklahoma City Hospital. They are being treated for burns, according to the Elk City Fire Department. Their identities remain undisclosed.

The call first came in just after 9 a.m. The ECFD reported that storage tanks with oil, condensate and diesel caught fire. The cause of the fire, located near Hodge's Trucking, is currently unknown. Fire crews at the scene have been pulled back to a safe distance because of the fire's intensity.

Oklahoman

All the roads within a 1-mile radius were closed and about 100 homes and businesses were evacuated for safety concerns.  As of the time of this posting there were no further reports of any injuries or damages beyond the tank area.  The Elk City Fire Department has called all 35 members to the scene along with help from three other FD's.

The Oklahoman is also reporting:

The cause of the explosion is being investigated, Elk City Emergency Management Capt. Roger Poole said.

Poole said two men were either loading or off-loading fluid onto a truck when the fluid ignited, but investigators did not know what caused the ignition Saturday evening.

Hodges Trucking specializes in transporting oilfield equipment and other oversize cargo.  According to their WEBSITE they are one of the largest oilfield and heavy haul transportation companies in the industry, operating continuously for 80 years.

Elk City Fire Department WEBSITE.

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Posted by on August 12, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,

Explosion & Fire Injure 10 in Illinois VFW Hall

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It All Started With a Welding Torch

A FIRE STARTED BY A WELDER working in the basement firing range of a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) lodge hall in Villa Park, Illinois, Tuesday night triggered an explosion that injured ten people.  There were at least 70 people upstairs in the main hall playing a Bingo game when the fire started and they were evacuating when the ka-boom took off.

WLS-TV

The Daily Herald reports:

Lt. Michael Barton of the Villa Park Fire Department said a total of nine people were transported to three area hospitals following the 6:30 p.m. blaze at 39 E. Saint Charles Road.

Multiple people were trapped in office areas of the Veterans of Foreign Wars building and were rescued about 6:30 p.m. by (firefighters) who broke through windows from the outside of the building. Two people suffered severe injuries, according to fire officials, who said three others suffered serious injuries.

The fire was sparked in the shooting range in the basement, where workers were welding a backstop, Post Cmdr. Dennis Geiseman said.

Elmhurst resident Bob Blewett was waiting for bingo to start in the bar area next to the range when the fire ignited. He said he witnessed two workers escape the gun range before a blast blew the door to the range open. One of the workers was injured and was telling everybody to evacuate the building.

"Within a second or two after that, there was a big flash, and the fire shot out of the gun range and up the stairs," he said.

Three of the injured were VFW members who stayed inside aiding the evacuation until all the guests had exited safely.  They were taken to a burn unit for treament and are still there this morning.

WLS-TV Ch. 7 Chicago posted this video report from the scene:

 

The initial investigation is leaning to an accumulation of gunpowder in the area which burned explosively when the fire reached it.

Read the full report in the Daily Herald HERE.
The Chicago Tribune has MORE.

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Posted by on May 30, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

While Medics Treat Ka-Boom Victims, Spartacus Steals the Ambulance

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Greek Easter Celebration Gets Out of Hand

TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA, HAS a sizeable Greek community and each year at Greek Easter part of their celebration consists of detonating homemade explosives that pack more punch than puny firecrackers.  This year however, one celebrant overdid it with the black powder package.

Early Sunday morning while the Orthodox Easter Services were underway in the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, around the corner on Tarpon Ave. a mighty explosion rocked The Zone, a restaurant/bar, and an apartment building.  The Tampa Bay Times continues:

The Zone Lounge was crowded at the time of the explosion, said Tarpon Springs police Capt. Barbara Templeton, and many patrons were affected by flying glass and debris. At least two women were treated at the scene for lacerations.

The area was closed off for five hours while investigations proceeded.

The bomb detonated from atop a vacant building adjacent to and connected with the bar. Some apartments on the other side of the blast site also were seriously damaged, Templeton said, including windows blown out and glass and debris strewn across living rooms.

Patrons streamed out of the Zone Lounge, which authorities evacuated, some bleeding and many more "frightened out of their wits," she said.

The neighborhood quickly filled up with firetrucks and ambulances to check on the blast damages and treat the injured patrons.  While medics were tending to some people who were cut by flying glass shards, one of them went back outside to get more supplies and found out that his ambulance was gone.  The dispatch center quickly pinpointed its location via the GPS device and the police responded  and found it abandoned by the water treatment plant.

They soon located a man inside who shouldn't have been there and ordered him out.  As he approached, he was grasping two unidentfiable objects in each hand and refused to stop and get on the ground.  Instead, he made "menacing" actions and advanced toward the officers who then gave him a Taser massage.  After taking him into custody they learned that the objects were a flashlight and a potato.  They also found a tomato in his pocket.  When asked repeatedly to give his name, the ambulance driver told them he was "Spartacus", then he became "Maggie" and "Shadow."  He was charged with grand theft, burglary, and resisting arrest with violence.

Spartacus awaits an alternative transportation mode.

At last word, the investigation into who set off the ka-boom was continuing.

The Tampa Bay Times has the STORY HERE.
ABC News has MORE HERE plus this video report:

 

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Google Street View of The Zone and the vacant building
next door where the device was detonated.  Two other
businesses to the right of the pub were damaged also.

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Posted by on April 15, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Arizona Ka-Boom Destroys Two Homes

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Police Quickly Class it Suspicious

A DEVASTATING EXPLOSION LEVELED A CHANDLER, Arizona, house late Sunday night and caused enough damage to the home next door that it was destroyed also.

KTVK / AzAce

The withering blast that was felt up to two miles away immediately pulverized the house that had nobody in it at the time.  The resident who was not at home was located later this morning and he confirmed that there should be nobody in the house or its debris.

The police soon declared that the incident was "suspicious" based on some early evidence that they had, coupled with the fact that the home did not have any sort of gas service to it.

KTVK / Roscoe

AZCentral News filed this video report from the scene:

 

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KTVK

Phoenix Channel 3 has filed this updated report just before 1 pm Eastern:

 

A full investigation is underway including agents from ATF.  Already the investigators are telling the press that the explosion was intentional and not an accident.

KTVK-TV has more details, videos and a photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on January 30, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Merchant Ship Ka-Boom in Korean Waters

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Not a Good Week For the Shipping Business

A MERCHANT FREIGHTER THAT CARRIES PETROLEUM products had a hull-breaking explosion Sunday morning off the coast of South Korea.

Korea Coast Guard photo via Reuters

The ship had just left the port at Incheon when it blew up.  It is believed that five of the 16-man crew were killed and perhaps six more are missing.

The Korea Herald tells us:

Doola Shipping, which operates the ship, said the explosion seems to have taken place while gas was being drained from the oil tank. "The vessel usually transports diesel, but this time it carried gasoline. We are now examining whether it had any relation to the explosion," a company official said.

Korea Coast Guard photo via Reuters

The explosion was not caused by any external shock, Coast Guard officials said, adding it suddenly occurred when some crew members were cleaning the oil tank on the deck. They will request a forensic test for the case, the officials said.

Apparently the gasoline had been offloaded at Incheon and it was the vapors in the tank that exploded.  There was no product leaked into the sea as a result of the accident.  An investigation is open to determine what happened.

Euro News posted this raw video showing a closeup view of the ship from sea level:

 

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Posted by on January 15, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Plumber’s Work Van Explodes Killing Driver

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Several Compressed Gas Tanks Kept in Van

A MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, PLUMBER WAS KILLED in front of his own home Monday morning after he approached his work van and it exploded just before he got inside.

Joe Cosentino, 25, was leaving the house that he shares with his parents at 6:45 am and was close to the van when it blew, tossing him about 20 feet away with massive "blast type" injuries to his head, chest and abdomen, along with deep cuts from the flying debris and internal injuries from the force of the blast.

Cosentino primarily worked with refrigeration units and kept about seven tanks of gasses in his work truck.  Neighbors say that they heard a loud hissing sound just moments before the explosion which was heard up to 3 miles away.  The AAP reports:

Detective Senior Constable Mick Cashman from the arson and explosives squad praised passers-by who came to the young tradesman's aid. He was amazed no one else was killed.

"A number of people were out for their morning walk in the area and were very close to the explosion," he said. "The fact that a lot of those people tended to the victim in the immediate aftermath of the initial explosion is a credit to them and remarkably brave considering the vehicle was still experiencing a number of smaller explosions and eventually caught fire as well."

The explosion damaged windows and roofs on up to 20 nearby homes and was heard five kilometres away, Det Sen Const Cashman said. "The first fire brigade on scene actually heard the explosion from their shed," he said.

Cosentino went into cardiac arrest just after the ambulance arrived and they were able to restart him a few times, but he died in the hospital about 3 hours later.

The Age

The work safety agency and police are investigating the cause of the explosion.  They are assuming there was a leak, but don't know yet what triggered it.  They will also look into how the bottles were stored in the van.

TenNews posted this very good video report:

 

Read more details in the Sydney Morning Herald HERE.
The Age has MORE.

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Posted by on December 12, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Fire, Explosion Destroy Half of Strip Mall

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Midnight Fire Destroys Eight Businesses

A FIRE IN A CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, STRIP MALL leveled half the shopping center early Tuesday morning after a presumed backdraft explosion blew out all the front windows and led to a roof collapse.

Desert Sun photo

A patrol car discovered the fire around midnight and turned in the alarm.  The first-arriving units found heavy smoke in the building that has a common attic.  It was shortly after the Cathedral City FD arrived that additional oxygen got into the smoke and triggered the blast that caused the structural damage.  Aside from the blast, the fire was relatively easy to put out and had been extinguished an hour later.

KESQ-TV adds:

While the investigation continues into what caused the fire, firefighters have pinned down where the blaze originated. They believe it began in the plaza's meat market. "Our original report was that it was at the carnaceria," said Cathedral City Fire Department Battalion Chief John Muhr. "A passerby which happened to be one our police officers drove by and saw the smoke, so we're pretty certain that we have a good idea of the origin."

It took firefighters about an hour to put out the fire. In the process four firefighters were in for a surprise. They were knocked off their feet by a back draft explosion that occurred in the strip malls' Chinese restaurant. "In the case of the fire last night, we had an attic that was filled of flammable smoke and it found an ignition source and the rest is history," said Muhr.

About 35 to 40 firefighters from Cathedral City, Palm Springs and CalFire fought the blaze.

KPSP-TV Ch. 2 posted some raw video from the scene:

 

The Desert Sun has the STORY plus an extensive photo gallery.

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Posted by on December 7, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,

Grain Elevator Ka-Boom in Kansas, 3 Dead, Others Missing

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Explosion Felt For Miles Away

A THUNDERING EXPLOSION WAS HEARD AND FELT throughout the entire city of Atchison, Kansas, Saturday evening when a grain elevator blew up killing at least three workers.  The blast at 7:15 pm sent up a fireball that was seen several miles distant from the Bartlett Grain Co. terminal on the banks of the Missouri River just south of the city.

The explosion blew the top off of the elevator.
(NPG News photo)

The latest report says that three people have been killed and three more are still missing.  At least two others have been transported with severe burn injuries.  The firefighters have had to stay away from the silo because of the possiblilty of a second explosion, but as daylight approaches they are making an approach to the site.  It is their plan to begin digging through the rubble to search for the missing victims.  Heavy equipment is being moved in to assist in the search.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department sent some units to assist at the incident 50+ miles away.

The Atchison Daily Globe has the STORY.
KMBC-TV Kansas City has MORE.

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Posted by on October 30, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: , , ,

Recycling Plant Ka-Boom in UK

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Destructive Explosion Rattles Entire Area

A MAJOR EXPLOSION LEVELED ONE BUILDING at a Surrey, England, recycling plant sending debris hundreds of feet in the air and shaking the entire neighborhood around the industrial park.  Eight people were injured, four of them critically in the blast Monday just before noon that started a fire which burned for hours.

ITN image

The explosion occurred at 11:15 am in an area that is used for recycling ink cartridges and other IT-related items.  When the first units from the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service arrived they found a "significant fire" in progress.  A fire officer said that gas cylinders on the site were contributing to the problem and making firefighting efforts more difficult.  The fire crews remained on the scene overnight working on the hot spots.

ITN captured and posted this raw video taken during the early stages of the incident:

 

The Daily Mail reports:

Three seriously injured workers were airlifted to major trauma centres in the region by helicopters from the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Ambulance Service.

One was taken to King's College Hospital in London and two to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where they are stable in A&E and waiting to be transferred to a nearby burns unit.

Five people have been admitted to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill with minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Peter Burns, who works for Trichem, just two doors away from the suspected source of the explosion, described the panic when the blast happened.

'It was like a bomb had exploded,' he said. 'I ran straight out and there were bits floating in the air and flames coming from the building. There were a few guys staggering out from the building and away from the flames. There were people coming from all different units, gathering around the scene. The two blokes who were badly injured, I saw them and they were in a very bad way. They were out of the building being attended to and being given first aid (by other workers).'

The injured employees suffered from burns, respiratory problems, and head injuries.  About 75 people in neighboring businesses were evacuated as a precaution.

There is no determination yet on the cause of the explosion.

The Daily Mail has a full report with more photos HERE.
BBC News has an update HERE.

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Posted by on October 4, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Take THAT You Little Buzzer!

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An Agricultural Retaliation Ka-Boom

A LYNDEN, WASHINGTON, MAN BECAME infuriated Sunday after a bee stung a friend of his.  So in a display of loyalty and friendship the unamed man decided to retaliate against the creatures.  He got  a container of gasoline and poured it all over the beehive and then lit it off.

The thundering explosion was heard throughout the entire neighborhood and prompted a waitress at the nearby country club to call the FD.

The the fire department arrived there was no fire, but the tree housing the beehive was singed and as Lynden Fire Chief Gary Baar told the press, "No damage except for a bunch of dead bees.  The correct way to do that is to call a beekeeper."  The shaken man knows that now and police say that he will not be cited since "no harm, no foul."

The Bellingham Herald carried the STORY.

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Posted by on August 31, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: , , ,

Bungling Copper Thief Blows Up Six Houses

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Man Arrested For Foul Deed

THIEVES TRYING TO DISMANTLE an electric service line in Yorkshire, England, last week gave up on their effort and left the wires dangling at the rear of a block of rowhouses in Castleford.  The situation came to the attention of the fire brigade around 1:30 am Friday, July 8 when they were called out for a series of several small fires behind the homes.

Realizing the imminent danger that the arcing wires were producing, the firefighters evacuated the entire block and got about 30 residents out of their sleep and into the street just moments before the hazard triggered an explosion that destroyed two houses and  damaged four others. 

West Yorkshire Fire – Rescue image

The firefighters had just removed the last two occupants who needed to be removed by ladders when the a large explosion occurred.  This fire brigade video documentation of the incident captured the blast and you can see just how close they came to losing some firefighters:

 

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service told the press: 'If the house had exploded only seconds earlier, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have killed or seriously injured the occupants and the firefighters who were risking their lives to rescue them. We can’t stress enough how devastating this could have been.  Instead, they lost their homes and possessions rather than their lives. If people continue to tamper with equipment on the electricity network, it is only a matter of time before more people die.'

BBC News

A 27-yr.-old man has been arrested for implication in the crime and is still being held by Yorkshire Police.  He has not yet been publicly identified and investigation may lead to more arrests.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has MORE.

Harrowgate News

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Posted by on July 16, 2011 • Filed under: crime, explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Illegal Still Ka-Booms, Kills 5 in UK

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Sixth Man Critically Injured

A CONFINED EXPLOSION IN AN INDUSTRIAL SHOP killed five men instantly and critically injured a sixth Wednesday night in Lincolnshire, England.  It is believed that they were operating an illegal "vodka factory" inside the small, rental unit in a Boston industrial park and the unit was closed up to deter observation when the still blew up violently at 7:30 pm.

Metro Online

People living up to  five miles away heard the blast that warped the rollup door preventing immediate access by the fire brigade.  The East Anglian Daily Times reports:

Steve Moore, area manager from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, said a total of six fire engines were sent to the scene.

"When the first crews attended they were faced with a really serious fire and a casualty who was outside the building suffering from burns," he said.  "The incoming crew then started to fight the fire, it was a really hot, intense fire."

The officer said the fierce flames set alight a car outside the unit and also buckled its roller shutters, meaning crews were forced to use hydraulic equipment to cut their way into the block.

"At that point we received further information that there may be further casualties," he added. Mr Moore said six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the unit and found five further casualties.

Neighbors say that there have been complaints and concerns about a group of Polish nationals that were suspected of operating the large still making counterfeit vodka and supplying local liquor outlets.

Press Association prepared this video report:

 

The Mirror adds:

Some 25% of Boston's 30,000 population is believed to be from Russia, Eastern Europe and also Portugal. Several people thought to be Eastern Europeans arrived at the scene of the blast asking about the identities of casualties.

Counterfeit vodka was found in the town in co-ordinated raids in March. A total of 88 litres of potential illegal alcohol was seized. Gary Seymour, assistant head of Lincolnshire's trading standards department, said: "Some of the illegally-made vodka has been found to contain high levels of methanol, which is used to make anti-freeze and some other fuels. Drinking it can cause blindness."

The industrial park has a mix of large, heavy industry and smaller shops working with metal and wood products.

BBC News has the details HERE.
The Daily Mail has MORE.
Metro has more HERE.

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Posted by on July 14, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires • Tagged: , , , ,

House Ka-Boom in Florida

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Suspected Gas Explosion

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, FIREFIGHTERS were called out shortly after 3 am Wednesday for what neighbors said was an explosion at a house in Lake Worth.  When they arrived on the scene, the FD found a house fully involved but with the two residents safely outside.

WPTV-TV Ch. 5 filed this early video taken from their helicopter:

 

The Palm Beach Post adds:

John Pyke, who was in the house at the time of the fire, said he was awoken by an explosion and parts of the ceiling falling on him.

"I woke up, I pushed the debris off and pushed my way to the front door," Pyke said.

Unsure whether his sister was inside of the home or not, Pyke said he banged on the windows until he learned that she was safe next door. After that, he and his neighbor grabbed hoses and tried putting out the fire themselves until crews arrived.

The house and its contents were completely destroyed with parts of the building found as far as 200 feet away.

Palm Beach Post

Early indications point to a gas line that ran through the attic, but more investigation is needed.

Read the article in the Palm Beach Post HERE.

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Posted by on July 13, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Smelter Blast Kills 2 in France

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Maintenance Workers Caught

AN EARLY-MORNING EXPLOSION at a battery recycling plant in Feurs, France, has killed two workers and injured two more. 

All photos Claude Essrtel via Le Progres

The problem arose at 4:45 am Saturday inside a smelter building of the Valdi FeursMetal company when some hot water and steam began leaking from a furnace.  The employees left the building and reported it to the maintenance staff, bringing two of them to the building.  Shortly after the two workers, ages 29 and 55, entered the area, the furnace exploded with a violence that heavily damaged the building and killed the two repairmen.

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The railway line linking Saint-Etienne to Roanne, which is adjacent to the smelter was closed after the accident due to debris on the tracks, was reopened shortly after 10 o'clock.

"We must now bring in an expert and the labor inspector for the findings on the spot", which is the usual procedure in case of accident, said the prosecutor.

Sixty firefighters and twenty engines were dispatched to the site along with a dozen policemen, before the danger was reduced by mid-morning.  The amount of fire damage was very small.

Le Progres has the STORY.

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Posted by on June 25, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , , ,

Apartment Ka-Boom Critically Burns Three

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Victims Burned Beyond Recognition

THREE VICTIMS OF AN EXPLOSION in a Livermore, California, apartment unit were burned so badly that they could not be identified Saturday evening.  The Livermore-Pleasanton FD arrived on the scene in six minutes where they found fire showing from the apartment and the three victims outside in extreme distress.

Livermore Patch

The Pleasanton Weekly News reports:

Firefighters found three critically burned individuals outside of an apartment with fire and smoke continuing to come from the apartment. As crews worked to extinguish the blaze, others provided emergency aid to the injured with American Medical Response ambulances taking the injured to Livermore High School, where they were transferred to three medical helicopters waiting at the scene to airlift them to burn centers.

Two men, one believed to be in his 20's and one believed to be in his 30's, were transported to the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. A woman believed to be in her 20's, was transported to the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

The fire was extinguished in 20 minutes and was contained to the apartment where the explosion occurred.  The other units of the 5-unit building have been evacuated until engineers can assess the safety of the structure.

The Livermore Patch has MORE.

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Posted by on May 22, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: , , ,

High-Rise Ka-Boom in Paris

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Explosion, Fire, and No Injuries

A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION ON a Paris, France, high-rise apartment building brought the neighborhood to a halt Thursday.  Some workmen were doing repair work on the terrace of an upper-level apartment shortly after noon when a compressed gas bottle blew up and started a fire in the apartment.

Cell photo by Patrick Bunot / Le Parisien

The gas cylinder became a missile flying 600 feet away to land in a gasoline station.  The explosion led to self-evacuations of the surrounding buildings while people poured into the street to view the spectacle.

The fire brigade arrived and extinguished the apartment fire readily.  Amazingly, nobody was injured in the incident.

This raw video from Franck Lassagne has a good view of the burning apartment unit:

 

Le Parisien has the STORY.

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Posted by on May 6, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Explosion, Fire Levels Auto Repair Shop

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Firefighters Rescue One Burn Victim

DENVER, COLORADO, FIREFIGHTERS were called out Thursday morning around 1:30 am local time when neighbors reported hearing a violent explosion in a commercial district.  When they arrived on the scene the FF's found fire showing from a warehouse-type occupancy and a 2nd alarm was struck.

KDVR-TV

The first units entered the building on a primary search and they found a man with thermal burns laying inside.  The man who is believed to have been living in the shop, was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The business appeared to be related to auto repairs of some sort and contained several acetylene and oxygen bottles.  The fire officer had the FF's withdraw from the structure that already had a parial collapse from the initial explosion.  There was debris as far away as 100 yards.  The fire was knocked down in about an hour, but units remained on the scene for several hours working on the hot spots.

KWGN-TV Ch. 34 filed this video report:

 

KMGH-TV has more HERE.
KDVR-TV has a further report and more video HERE.

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Posted by on April 7, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Explosion Injures 5 Firefighters

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Three Firefighters in Serious Condition

Updated, Sunday pm: 
The most seriously injured FF in the hospital remains in critical condition in the ICU with extensive burns and trauma received from the blast.  He is being treated in the burn unit at a military hospital near Paris.  One firefighter has been released and the other three are still hospitalized in "satisfactory" condition.

FIVE FIREFIGHTERS IN PARIS, FRANCE, were injured, with three of them in serious condition with burns, when an explosion occurred in the basement of a building where they were working a fire. 

Le Monde

The building housed a bar/restaurant on the ground floor with several floors above occupied with apartments.  The fire brigade was called at 3:40 am Saturday morning for a fire in the basement and when they arrived they stretched a hand line there and began attacking the blaze.  It was then that an explosion took place (believed to be gas-fueled) causing the injuries.  Besides the three serious injuries, two other FF's and a police officer had less-serious injuries.  Also the couple who run the bar were hurt, too.

Le Parisien reports further:

The blaze, whose origin will be determined by the investigation, occurred at about 3:40 in the basement of an apartment building located at 38 Rue Sorbier. It has been (brought under control) by 6 o'clock in the morning and eleven people were evacuated as a precaution, said the prefecture of police.

"A little before 3:50, we took a fire", said Lieutenant-Colonel Le Testu. The alarm was raised by a resident of the 5th floor who reported a smell of smoke in this building, whose ground floor is occupied by a bar.  "The rescuers quickly located the fire in the basement of the building, "said the spokesman. But "a few minutes after the arrival of (the firefighters), a violent explosion occurred in the basement and blew out the window of the bar on the ground floor, injuring eight people,"said the officer.

Contrary to initial indications, the explosion was "probably not due to gas, the supply having been cut," said the spokesman. They are more likely attributable to a thermal [sic] even though it must be established by the investigation.

BFM-TV has filed this video report:

 
Paris : une explosion fait 3 blessés graves by BFMTV

Le Post has the STORY.

Posted by on March 26, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Brave or fuelish?

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Not sure if this was such a good idea …

from newslite:

A driver in Turkey has been hailed as a hero after leaping into action when a fuel tanker he was unloading caught fire at a petrol station.

This CCTV footage shows the terrifying moment flames shoot up out of the top of the tanker and everyone runs away. Everyone except Koçak, that is.

Realising a massive explosion could take out the entire station, Koçak jumped back into the burning vehicle and drove it 1km to safety.

As he drives off, leaking fuel can be seen catching light and it took 60 fire fighters to extinguish the subsequent flames which caused much damage.

Several witnesses have since congratulated Koçak and say his heroic actions saved many peoples lives. We are not sure the word hero quite does him justice.

Speaking after the accident Koçak said: “The fuel tank went up in flames instantly. At that moment, I said, ‘Let something happen to me, instead of the people nearby,’ and got behind the wheel.

“The tank turned into a ball of flames, but I managed to take it to a secure place. But some cars were burned as a result of the flames jumping from the tank.”

Man drives burning tanker from petrol station

Picked up by The Daily What. as BAMF of the Day.

I saw it on Gawker.TV: Heroic Trucker Drives Burning Fuel Tanker Away From Gas Station

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on March 14, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, HazMat, News • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Glue Factory Blast and Fire Create Sticky Situation for Haz-Mat Team

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4-Alarm Fire Creates Runoff Problem

AN EXPLOSION THAT TRIGGERED A LARGE FIRE in Middleton, Massachusetts, Sunday night created a potentially hazardous threat to the Ipswich River from firefighting runoff.  The blast hit an adhesive factory owned by Bostik, Inc. that was filled with large quantities of several chemicals used in the glue-making process.

WHDH-TV

Four people were injured by the event, but their conditions have not been released yet.  The Boston Herald adds:

The blast caused heavy damage inside Bostik, a company that manufactures glue as well as other chemicals for industrial uses, state police said. The state fire marshal declared a tier-three hazardous material response, due to the toxins in the plant.

“It’s a serious event from the fire marshal’s perspective,” said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Peter Judge. “Initially there was an explosion that many people thought was an earthquake. There wasn’t a significant fire, but there was some fire involved.”

He said firefighters are now accounting for the chemicals in the plant, checking to see if their containers have been damaged, and making sure none of them are in danger of contaminating the area around the plant.

This good video report from WHDH-TV includes some aerial views that show significant damage to the plant:

 

The explosion shook homes in the vicinity for several seconds causing some worry by the residents.  The Boston Globe reports:

Boston Street resident Beverly Peterson, in a telephone interview, reported hearing “a big bang’’ from the direction of the Bostik campus.  “We’re really concerned,’’ said Peterson. “We saw a bunch of ambulances head down toward the plant.’’

Another local resident, Amy Fuller, said she thought a tree fell on her house as she was putting her kids to bed.  She said her house shook for 40 seconds. “It shook [the house] like an earthquake,’’ she said.

AP

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Posted by on March 14, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Houston Gas Plant Ka-Boom

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Series of Explosions Triggers Large Fire

SHORTLY AFTER NOON Central TODAY (Tuesday) A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS led to a fire at a Texas natural gas production facility.  A pipeline within the Enterprise Products plant blew up and product within the line started burning leading to about 12 more explosions and more product exposed to the fire.

KHOU-TV

The pipelines leading into the facility have been shut off and the residual chemicals and liquids that are used in natural gas production are being allowed to burn off.  The responding fire departments are protecting the exposures while the fire burns.  A spokesman for Enterprise says that the lines were operating under capacity, so it won’t take as long as otherwise to burn out.

Enterprise officials say that there are usually about 8 to 10 employees working there at that time, but one of them who is believed to have been in the area of the explosion is still unaccounted for.

KHOU-TV has filed this interesting raw video that shows some exposures igniting from the convection:

 

The Houston Chronicle tells:  The facility in Chambers County is a natural gas fractionation facility, where natural gas liquids are separated into different components before being put into storage or injected into pipelines. It has a capacity of about 305,000 barrels of natural gas liquids per day. Recently, it has become an important hub to oil and gas producers in South Texas’ Eagle Ford shale formation, where large quantities of natural gas liquids are being extracted and processed for usage by Gulf Coast petrochemical plants and other customers.

The Houston Chronicle has the early STORY.
KHOU-TV has a 32-image photo gallery HERE.

Posted by on February 8, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: , ,