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re: Fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:29 pm to wmr
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:29 pm to wmr
This is the scary thing about living near large operations with flammable materials like chemical, fertilizer, and gas refining plants. Fires at such places can lead to massive explosions. Part of my territory in the Mobile includes a large chemical plant as well as a Shell refining plant and I always feel a little leery driving by there. I have family that lived near Destrehan and the huge refinery near there on the river. I always felt nervous for them with that plant just a couple miles or so down the road from them.
1
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:44 pm to Funky Tide 8
Oh shite.
Thoughts and prayers out.
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:48 pm to Latarian
That video is horrifying
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:48 pm to Slippery Slope
That photos been debunked.
Still terrible.
Still terrible.
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:49 pm to wmr
That's the famous Czech stop. West is a pretty small town, this probably did quite a bit of damage to it. So sad.
Posted on 4/17/13 at 11:51 pm to Govt Tide
quote:
I have family that lived near Destrehan and the huge refinery near there on the river.
Destrehan, La? My family used to own the Destrehan Plantation back in the 1800s
Posted on 4/18/13 at 12:11 am to Latarian
Wow
Posted on 4/18/13 at 12:29 am to DMagic
Pretty shitty situation
Posted on 4/18/13 at 12:58 am to bamafan425
quote:
That photos been debunked. Still terrible.
Thank God, that looked awful but it's still not good
Prayers sent
Posted on 4/18/13 at 1:09 am to Wishnitwas1998
just read that the USGS detected a magintude 2.1 "quarry blast"....holy shite. that combined with what i am hearing from friends there, and watching that video, it is heartbreaking. 5-7 firefighters are basically unaccounted for that were on scene on top of all the other "unconfirmed" reports.
Posted on 4/18/13 at 1:20 am to Supravol22
quote:
That video is horrifying
Posted on 4/18/13 at 8:44 am to The Nino
everybody i know from there and families of friends confirmed that they were safe. I know some of our first responders that is not the case. Hope the tally stays low today.
Posted on 4/18/13 at 10:17 am to boddagetta
quote:
You'd think firefighters would know better.
Whomever posted what you quoted is the one who should know better.
Ammonium Nitrate's reference number in the 2012 Emergency Response Guide (the Bible for chemical responses) is placard 1942, which directs you to Guide 140..
Here's what it says under emergency response for fires.
FIRE
Small Fires
* Use water. Do not use dry chemicals or foams. CO² or Halon® may provide limited control.
Large Fires
* Flood fire area with water from a distance.
* Move containers from fire area if you can do it without risk.
* Do not move cargo or vehicle if cargo has been exposed to heat.
* Fight fire from maximum distance or use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles.
* Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.
* ALWAYS stay away from tanks engulfed in fire.
* For massive fire, use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles; if this is impossible, withdraw from area and let fire burn.
Water is the proper extinguishing agent for an ammonium nitrate fire.
The whole topic is sort of moot because according to many stories, the main product at that facility was anhydrous ammonia ( and water is still the proper extinguishing agent). Given the time frame witnesses gave for their response, I doubt the ever had a line in operation. They may not have even been on scene.
In what would be a total, complete WAG I suspect one of their AA storage tanks was exposed to fire and suffered a BLEVE.
Sorry if this came off as harsh, but those responders are almost certainly dead right now and as a fellow volunteer firefighter it pissed me off that some idiot (I know it wasn't you) made a post implying they caused the explosion when in fact what he accused them of doing would have been the proper tactic.
Posted on 4/18/13 at 10:59 am to JustGetItRight
To go with my last post, the FD knew what they were facing.
quote:
The town's volunteer firefighters had responded to a call at the plant at 7:29 p.m., Swanton said. Due to the plant's chemical stockpile, "they realized the seriousness of what they had," he said. Muska was among the firefighters, and he and his colleagues were working to evacuate the area around the plant when the blast followed about 20 minutes later. Muska said it knocked off his fire helmet and blew out the doors and windows of his nearby home.
Posted on 4/18/13 at 11:26 am to JustGetItRight
quote:
Water is the proper extinguishing agent for an ammonium nitrate fire.
Emergency responders will not mix water used for firefighting directly with the anhydrous ammonia, as this could result in warming of the product, causing the liquid to turn into a toxic vapor cloud. However, they may use a water spray downwind of the leak source to absorb ammonia
gas and dilute the vapor cloud, ensuring the water that is sprayed does not come into contact with the product. LINK
Posted on 4/18/13 at 1:47 pm to Hardy_Har
Here's what the ERG says about Anhydrous Ammonia:
Small Fires
* Dry chemical or CO².
Large Fires
* Water spray, fog or regular foam.
* Move containers from fire area if you can do it without risk.
* Do not get water inside containers.
* Damaged cylinders should be handled only by specialists.
Fire involving Tanks
* Fight fire from maximum distance or use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles.
* Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.
* Do not direct water at source of leak or safety devices; icing may occur.
* Withdraw immediately in case of rising sound from venting safety devices or discoloration of tank.
* ALWAYS stay away from tanks engulfed in fire.
Please note the repeated use of the word WATER.
If you've got an AA tank involved in fire, you want to extinguish said fire before the tank ruptures and destroys the world. As your sheet and the ERG say you should not be flowing water directly into that tank, but that's somewhat moot. If you can flow directly into the tank it has already failed.
Small Fires
* Dry chemical or CO².
Large Fires
* Water spray, fog or regular foam.
* Move containers from fire area if you can do it without risk.
* Do not get water inside containers.
* Damaged cylinders should be handled only by specialists.
Fire involving Tanks
* Fight fire from maximum distance or use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles.
* Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.
* Do not direct water at source of leak or safety devices; icing may occur.
* Withdraw immediately in case of rising sound from venting safety devices or discoloration of tank.
* ALWAYS stay away from tanks engulfed in fire.
Please note the repeated use of the word WATER.
If you've got an AA tank involved in fire, you want to extinguish said fire before the tank ruptures and destroys the world. As your sheet and the ERG say you should not be flowing water directly into that tank, but that's somewhat moot. If you can flow directly into the tank it has already failed.
Posted on 4/18/13 at 6:23 pm to JustGetItRight
I understand and agree, but It also lists water in the potential hazards for explosion.
Posted on 4/18/13 at 6:44 pm to bamafan425
Holy frick at that video!!!
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