Chemical Plant Explosion In Central U.S.

Apc,
well if nothing else I am glad it is out. If I hear anything of what that stuff the cloud was dropping is I will post it. However you will probably hear about it before any one since you are local, so do please let us know.

There has been one reference to a "sticky" substance found near the scene of the fire, so I was wrong on the source article working off bad info. However I still have only heard one reference. So far one firefighter received medical care for chemical exposure and several students and teachers at a school were checked out for "feeling funny". I'm pretty sure they were just experiencing panic.

Thanks for the up date on the sticky substance.
And yes they probably were experiencing panic. No doubt the medical professionals involved will enjoy filing the insurance claims.

Just saw that the EPA is saying despite thick smoke there is no danger ... isn't that what they also told rescue workers at Ground Zero?

Spookshow,
yes as well as other areas such as love canal, early nuclear tests, and a variety of others that I will probably think of in the next few hours or so.

I don't really know how to insert pictures or links, BUT...

A friend of mine has been running around taking pictures of fires in KC lately and here is a link to his flicker page from the big chem fire last night:

www.flickr.com...

My fav is the third one with all the helicopters!

Another explosion is being reported and more fire. I can't see any smoke so it must have just been another barrel. The 30,000gallon tankers are still intact.

Another explosion wow.
I guess there must still be a lot of hot mettle around, and a barrel with something still in it.
I can't help but wonder why they have not gotten the rail tankers out of there though.

Originally posted by RedGolem

I can't help but wonder why they have not gotten the rail tankers out of there though.

Its all about safety. To move those could cause them to rupture, with the people that are moving them near them. I am sure K.C.F.D. has a master stream line on them to keep them from going into a BLEVE situation.

I the structure on those tanks have been weekened moving them could cause them to burts. I am sure the Incedent Commander has a full spectrum POV of the situation.

Yes it was some what arrogant of me to second guess the professionals on the scene. They are suppose to know what is going on.
It still seems like they tankers should have been moved but time to stop questioning those who are there.

www.epaosc.net...

Thats the link for the EPA report. Anyone note anything interesting.. No ariel photograph for a start is unusual. As is the unknown contents of the containers. Hmm.. will read on.

Students evacuated after complaints of nausea Kansas City Star

Burning plastic compounds can release cyanide gas. I can't seem to find much on what's actually burning and how toxic it is....seems they are clamming up on that info.


The smoke looks like something out of a Hollyweird horror flick.

Well, it was night by the time the plane got here. Although here's the infrared shot from that pdf.



Sorry I don't see anything unusual in the report. The "unknown contents" I believe refers to the fact that noone knows for sure what was in them at this time. Definitely a petroleum or solvent of some kind. Workers in the building reported hearing a hissing sound and upon discovering the source, a 55gallon drum, it ignited. It was rapidly clear a fire extinguisher wasn't going to help, so they cleared the building and all nearby people outside. At this point the fire spread and the first 30,000gallon tank exploded.

I am sure K.C.F.D. has a master stream line on them to keep them from going into a BLEVE situation.

I'm not hip on the lingo, but if "master stream" is anything to do with water then no, no water is being used at all. There is too great a danger of chemical runoff. All that is being used to actively fight the fire is spray foam.

They are running aerial thermals and occasionally going in with some sort of armored vehicle they have.

There are also conflicting reports as to the nature of the explosions today. Some say two smaller tanks exploded. Others say the pressure release valve on top of the tanks burst as it was designed to, shooting chemicals straight up into the air, which then ignited.

>
hah Regenmacher. In that shot, the brown and white building left of center, with the microwave dish on it. I used to have a WiFi antenna on top of that building. Back in the good ol' days before WiFi was everywhere.

[edit on 8-2-2007 by apc]

Reg, Apc,
Great pics, thanks a bunch!!
I think everyone was pretty sure it was a petroleum product, but the information you posted did at least get some things across. So that is a start, thanks again.

Originally posted by apc
All that is being used to actively fight the fire is spray foam.

You are right, to fight the fire itself they are using foam but to keep the heat from going to high on the rail tankers we use just water. If they BLEVE or just start burning then they would switch to foam. To keep them from blowing unless they are already leaking; water is the stuff to use. I am haz-mat certified we have one of the biggest chemical companies in my city.



Typo king

[edit on 8-2-2007 by LoneGunMan]

Originally posted by RedGolem
wow thats pretty impressive Gunman
thanks for posting it.
Has any one said what it probably is yet?

Paint chip?

Watch this be blamed on islamofascist terrorists. Obviously someone started the fire, and someone has to get blamed, not necessarily the ones who are responcible though.

Originally posted by Regenmacher

The smoke looks like something out of a Hollyweird horror flick.

I've seen those plumes before. It looks like the one to two thousand gallons of jet fuel we used to dump in a burn pit for the fire dept to practice putting out a/c crashes.

It always seemed like an incredible waste to me, but you know how the military is on training. They did a controlled burn like that every couple months when they could dig up the funding to pay for the fuel. We'd (fuel farm) give them our waste fuel from samples and truck dailies, but there was never enough for a fire as big as they wanted.

Originally posted by Radekus
Watch this be blamed on islamofascist terrorists. Obviously someone started the fire, and someone has to get blamed, not necessarily the ones who are responcible though.

Nah. At this point there is no reason to suspect anything other than an accident. It's not the first in this industrial area, and it probably won't be the last.

They say that they are not sure what started the fire. BUT they know it was a polymer material. The material they were getting ready to ship had to be kept warm so that it was a liquid form. They say that it was about the constancy of Vaseline when it caught fire.

I was watching tv when the power went crazy and then the breaking news came on. Johnny Rollands the helicopter guy from channel 9 showed the sticky substance falling like rain from the cloud. They said that the planes flying into the airports had to be washed because they were covered with an oily film. They said it would not harm the plane itself, just the paint. They said it was like mineral oil, and highly corrosive to the paint. Then came back and said we have nothing to worry about.

I wish I could accept all that "everything is just fine" stuff that they are feeding us, but ......... it just seems too unlikely. Maybe Im just a worry wart.

[edit on 9-2-2007 by mrsdudara]