Village Blown Up In Fireworks Explosion In Denmark

Wednesday around 13:00 GMT a fire started in a fireworks factory in Kolding, Denmark. Firefighters were called to the scene and 2000 people were evacuated in the neighbourhood. Then suddenly 2000 tons of fireworks exploded (BBC say 300 tons, but that�s wrong). 350 houses were either destroyed or damaged. One firefighter died and 85 people were injured. They are still investigating what caused the fire.

From
BBC: Danes stunned by fireworks blaze

The fire set off a chain of explosions that devastated the surrounding area.

"It looks like a moon landscape, this looks worse than the many war zones I have seen," Defence Minister Soeren Gade said during a visit to the site.

The blackened landscape was littered with debris, gutted cars and damaged houses.

I was tempted to mention that joke where the police is waving to the crowd: "Go home! There�s nothing to see here...", but this is far too serious (so..., forget you ever saw that remark, please ).
Yesterday, there was a fire in another fireworks storage in Denmark as well. Luckily that fire was put out quickly. There are about 50 fireworks storages in Denmark.

ATSNN: www.atsnn.com...

[edit on 2004/11/7 by Hellmutt]

Source: www.politiken.dk


Quite incredible that only one person died. I watched this on TV and know several people who live in Kolding too. I don't understand why they were allowed to store this in the middle of a densly populated area. There are also indications that say that the amount of fireworks stored was about 900 tons MORE than allowed.

I also watched this on the news... but the pictures posted here are different angles than I saw The news cast that I saw only said that the fire started while a shipment was being unloaded and the fire spread to the storage building. Has anyone heard of the actual reason for the fire? Perhaps it is something that is still under investigation. But yes I tend to agree, it seems like in a factory such as this, certain cautions would have been taken to prevent not only the start of a fire, but also built in stop loss measures to prevent any fire from spreading out like it did to other buildings.

Would also like to express concern for familys who've lost their homes as well as those of the deceased and injured.

[edit on 5-11-2004 by melissaissim]

Originally posted by melissaissim

Would also like to express concern for familys who've lost their homes

They say in danish media that 150 homes are uninhabitable...

The explosion messured Mag 2.0.


[edit on 2006/4/25 by Hellmutt]

Source: www.kolding.dk
The time printed on the photos is GMT+1, subtract one hour for GMT.
Photos taken by Ivan Ivan Stapel







[edit on 2006/4/25 by Hellmutt]

This page is continously updating with latest info in danish :www.kolding.dk
Today (Saturday) they are evacuating pets from the evacuated homes...
And The Red Cross handed out free cloths for those who needed it.

[edit on 2004/11/6 by Hellmutt]

More pictures here...
Click the picture (below) for photos by Robert Atterman

[edit on 2006/4/25 by Hellmutt]

Everyone likes fireworks, even me, even though the noise and percussive effects cause me some distress, but everytime I hear of an injury or a death attributable to fireworks, I can only think, what a waste.

I like fireworks too.
I grew up living next to a gunpowder factory. Me and the other kids used to make homemade bombs. Big fun, but very dangerous. The factory exploded and some people died too unfortunately. I was on holiday when it happened. When I got home there were big cracks in the building we used to live in at the time this happened.

Originally posted by melissaissim
I also watched this on the news... but the pictures posted here are different angles than I saw

The news cast that I saw only said that the fire started while a shipment was being unloaded and the fire spread to the storage building. Has anyone heard of the actual reason for the fire? Perhaps it is something that is still under investigation.

I'm from Kolding and have been following this at a rather close distance - too close at some points.

What we know so far is this: Factory workers say that they were unloading a container and someone dropped a box. Then the fire started. It might have been a nail from the box that struck something - produced a spark and set it all off.

My doubt #1: All the boxes visible on pictures have been made of cardboard. If there was a nail there must have been a wooden box as well - we haven't seen any of those - of course that doesn't mean they weren't there, I just wonder.

My doubt #2: If a spark that must have been OUTSIDE the box has been able to light fireworks INSIDE the box, I dare say that's the worst packaging I've ever heard of.

My doubt #3: Another option is that the fireworks were so lousily made that the jolt from the drop has shaken together black powder and for instance strontium (red colour) which causes immediate fire and explosion, if this is the case then it's possibly the worst piece of fireworks manufactoring I've ever heard of.

As for the amount of fireworks stored there: The factory was allowed to store 300 tonnes of gun powder and 900 tonnes of fireworks all in all. The chemicals take up more space and weight than the gun powder. However the number 2000 tonnes has been released as the factory's full storage. If this is true they've clearly broken the law, BUT the high number could also be the police and fire fighters trying to scare people off so curious on-lookers would be fewer.

I've seen some international media raise the total amount of fireworks to 2300 tonnes - I've no idea where they got that number from, and they've written that "suddenly 2000 tonnes exploded" - that's not entirely correct either. The sudden large explosion was the main storage which held approximately 800 tonnes. The 2000 was the police's ESTIMATED 'all-in-all' amount.

Some 20 houses have been utterly destroyed, between 150 and 200 houses have been made completely uninhabitable the only solution now being a bull-dozer.

Some friends of mine are returning to their houses just now, some to see what little they can salvage, others to start repairs.

By now the main emotion going through my head is the horror that something like this has to happen before politicians start realising that we shouldn't have fireworks storages in residential zones. It's common sense to the rest of us but it's economy to the politicians - PAH on them!

Thanks for the interesting information, Jemima Aslana.
This is very odd indeed. Sabotage or just an oops...? Good thing they managed to evacuate so many people in time. This could have ended up in a much worse disaster if they didn�t. Just look at the pictures of the damage. It�s bad enough already. Just imagine if there were people in these houses...

Fireworks are unpredictable. They can go off just like THAT!
This is a fact that too many people tends to ignore every new years. This is why ER are full of children with blown off fingers in plastic bags with ice cubes. This is why so many ppl lose an eye or hand every year. They just don't want to admit how dangerous fireworks are. Stick it in your pocket kiddo BUT be careful with the matches. Matches yeah - big deal when it can go off on its own.

Packing of fireworks - Of course they have precausions and have to do it after special rules. But that doesn't rule out the danger. Just because you wear a seatbelt you are not safe from any car accidents...!

I think it's sad that the people in the area wasn't heard 4 years ago when they appealed for more safety because they had such dangerous neighbours. And then this happens..............

I've read that more than 50 houses are destroyed completely. But whether it's 20 or 50 it's still 1 too many. Poor poor people. I feel so sorry for them.


This is perhaps the biggest disaster in Denmark since ww2. If not the biggest.....

Like I wrote: 20-50 have been completely razed, but more than 150 are completely uninhabitable and the only thing to do about them is a bull-dozer.

By now they've found out what caused the fire.

My #3 was the right one. They've found that it was a manufacturing flaw that caused the chemicals to mix when the box was dropped. And as we've seen with other accidents strontium and black powder mixed explode whether or not there's fire involved and even if they're soaked in water.

It'll probably be a quiet New Year's Eve in DK this year. What went up in smoke in Kolding was about a 4th of the fireworks supply for all of DK. And the importers say they they cannot possibly import as much before New Year's again, so now we can expect a whole lot more illegal fireworks - fireworks with which the control is non-existent, so for many people the New Year's will be quiet, for others it'll be far more dangerous.

Either way, now that they know what caused the blow-up they're trying to find out if other importers in DK have the same kind of fireworks in their storages - because it needs to be destroyed immediately - no buts.

Originally posted by Jemima Aslana
They've found that it was a manufacturing flaw that caused the chemicals to mix when the box was dropped. And as we've seen with other accidents strontium and black powder mixed explode whether or not there's fire involved and even if they're soaked in water.

Latest reports show the fireworks to be safe. Now they�re investigating if there could have been a different content than what the labels said in the boxes .

I saw in a danish newspaper today that there are still 500 homeless after this accident. And they have found some fireworks hidden in dangerous places in Denmark. Latest find was 13 tons of illegal fireworks stored together with lots of illegal whisky and vodka...very dangerous.

The danes were just shook up by another fireworks incident in Denmark. Not as bad as the big one in Kolding, but it caused some fear and evacuations. A fireworks storage started to burn in a village called Sandby and then it exploded with a big BANG. 3 people were injured including two firemen. The owner of this storage was critically hurt but is now in stable condition. Some 10-12 unexploded bombs were spread around in the neighbourhood and they spent some hours locating them in peoples gardens. This happened not so far from Kolding were the huge blast happened.

Holy smokes...it's too bad such a dazzling show has to be so deadly

First, my sympathies for the Danish people injured & who have lost their homes & possessions in this tragic disaster.May they recover from their losses soon.

I too am a huge fan of fireworks,never missing July 4th,New Year's Eve, or any other concert/ceremonies where a major display might occur.

Here are some excerpts from a Scientific American article that explain the mysteries behind the shock & awe explosions and visuals of pyrotechnics and that might better help members here(me too) deny ignorance by shedding some light on what might have gone wrong.Hopefully technicians & others handling these volatile materials can avoid a future tragedy(or next time).

Pyrotechnics by John A. Conkling

The basic formula for black powder has persisted essentially unchanged throughout the centuries:an intimate blend of potassium nitrate (commonly known as saltpeter), charcoal and sulfur in a 75:15:10 ratio by weight making black powder a nearly ideal pyrotechnic substance.Black powder is easily ignited by means of a moderate jolt of energy, such as a spark or a small burning fuse.

In principle, the pyrotechnic process is not unlike normal combustion. A pyrotechnic composition contains an oxygen source (oxidizer) and a reducing agent (fuel).They are usually separate, solid chemicals that must be physically mixed together. When heat is applied, an electron-transfer, or oxidation-reduction (redox), reaction takes place.

Atoms in the fuel lose electrons to atoms in the oxidizer.In the process the fuel atoms bond to the oxygen atoms that are liberated from the oxidizer and form stable reaction productions.The new chemical bonds are more stable, and so energy is released in the form of heat; the same process occurs in combustion, however, the oxygen comes from the air. In a pyrotechnic mixture the oxygen is self contained, and the heat is much more closely confined.

As long as a pyrotechnic mixture remains cool and dry, it is generally quite
stable.A solid mixture experiences only a very slow surface reaction
controlled by diffusion. When the composition is ignited, it begins to liquefy
and vaporize in the resulting pyrotechnic flame, and the fuel and oxidizer
closely intermingle.This proximity leads to faster chemical reactions and, in turn, still more rapid energy release.

Pyrotechnics make use of a variety of fuels. Many mixtures incorporate organic (carbon-containing) materials, such as charcoal(used in fireworks and gunpowder) or sugar (in smoke grenades).Other common fuels include nonmetallic elements, such as sulfur, silicon and boron.Silicon and boron release a large amount of energy when oxidized, and they do not produce gas in the process.They are used in delay fuses to ignite other compositions at a desired time.

Chemically active metal fuels - most often aluminum, magnesium and titanium - burn at high temperatures and emit bright light. They came into use the 19th century and dramatically improved the brilliance of pyrotechnic explosions.

The spectacular splashes of light produced by fireworks are the most famous pyrotechnic phenomenon.The color of the light consists of electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths between 380 and 780 nanometers (one billionth of a meter).The longest visible rays appear red, the shortest,violet.A glowing object appears white if it radiates throughout the visible spectrum. If most of the light emitted in a narrow portion of the spectrum,it takes on the color of that portion.

Pyrotechnic compositions emit light by three basic processes: incandescence (blackbody radiation),atomic emission and molecular emission. Incandescence occurs when solid or liquid particles in the pyrotechnic flame are heated to a high temperature.The hot particles emit a broad spectrum of radiation as they attempt to shed their excess energy.The higher the temperature,the shorter the wavelength at which the most radiation is emitted. The intensity of the emission is proportional to the fourth power of the flame temperature,so a moderate increase in temperature drastically brightens the flame.

White light flares contain a reactive metal, such as magnesium, as a fuel. Solid metal oxide particles, created when the fuel is oxidized, are heated to more than 3000 degrees Celsius; at this temperature, their incandescent glow is white hot. A mixture of potassium perchlorate and fine aluminum or magnesium powder produces a powerful explosion along with a burst of white light. Such "photoflash" or "flash and sound" compositions have a wide range of uses, from firecrackers to special effects for rock concerts to bursts of light for nighttime photography.These compositions produce the bright flash that traditionally terminates a firework explosion.

Larger metal particles retain their heat longer than powders and can
continue to burn by drawing on the oxygen in the air. They create white sparks rather than an instantaneous flash. The bigger the particles, the longer the sparks last. Charcoal and iron particles do not become as hot as active metal particles - only about 1500 degrees C - and so they produce dimmer, gold colored sparks.

The brilliant colors seen in modern fireworks displays are generated either by atoms or by molecules present in a vapor form in the pyrotechnic flame. In the former case, the heat of the flame excites an electron in an atom and bumps it from its normal, ground state orbital to a higher energy one. The electron rapidly returns to its ground state and emits the excess energy as a photon (a single particle, or unit, of radiation) of a specific wavelength.

Sodium is one of the most potent atomic light emitters. Sodium atoms heated above 1800 degrees C give off yellow-orange light having a wavelength of 589 nanometers. The process is so efficient that it tends to overwhelm any other atom or molecular light sources in a pyrotechnic flame. Even small amounts of sodium containing impurities can ruin efforts to produce a flame of any other color.

In other applications, sodium's prodigious light emission can be helpful.
Sodium nitrate oxidizer combined with magnesium metal fuel is the principle composition used by the U.S. military to illuminate nighttime operations. The magnesium is oxidized by the sodium nitrate when the mixture is ignited; the resulting hot magnesium oxide particles shine with a white incandescent glow. High temperatures (3600 degrees C) in the magnesium flame also broaden the range of wavelengths emitted by the sodium atoms. The result is an intense white light.

As with atomic emission, molecular emission involves a transition from a ground state to an excited one. The molecule must be in gaseous form in the pyrotechnic flame, and it must be heated to a temperature high enough to reach the excited state that causes it to radiate. If the flame is too hot, however, the molecule disintegrates into its constituent atoms and no light is emitted. Moreover, the molecules must be sufficiently intensely colored light, but the production of solid or liquid particles must be kept to a minimum because they give off incandescent radiation that washes out the color.

A few groups of molecules are responsible for nearly all the colors in fireworks. Compounds of the element strontium produce the reds: strontium hydroxide (SrOH) and strontium chloride (SrCl) emit red light at wavelengths between 605 and 682 nanometers.

Molecules containing barium create the greens.
Barium chloride (BaCl), for instance,emits green light at wavelengths between 507 and 532 nanometers.

These molecules are so fragile that they are unstable at room temperature; consequently, they cannot be packed directly into a firework. Instead they are synthesized in rapid reactions in the flame. Manufacturers add such compounds as chlorinated rubber, polyvinyl chloride (a chlorine containing plastic) or perchlorate or chlorate oxidizers (containing a chlorine atom and four or three atoms of oxygen, respectively). These compounds decompose at high temperatures and release free chlorine. The chlorine atoms combine with barium or strontium, briefly creating the desired light producing molecules.

A rich blue flame is perhaps the ultimate challenge to the pyrotechnician. The best ]blue emitter yet identified, copper chloride (CuCl), is unstable at the elevated temperatures needed to produce intense light in fireworks. If the flame temperature exceeds that necessary for optimal molecular emission, the molecules disintegrate rapidly. Distinctly blue fireworks therefore demand especially precise control over the relative proportions and particle size of the necessary chemicals. The same holds true for purple or violet colors, which are created by combined emission from strontium chloride and copper chloride formed in the flame.If a decent blue color appears, it is always interesting to know what chemical mixture was used. Color generating compounds combined with the appropriate fuels and oxidizers can produce special effects.

Red sparklers derive their color from the combination of strontium carbonate (which emits red light) and aluminum granules (which provide the sparks). These ingredients are mixed with fuels, binders and an oxidizer to create a thick slurry; wires are dipped into the slurry and allowed to harden to create sparklers. Another strontium compound, strontium nitrate, is blended with potassium perchlorate (an oxidizer and chlorine source) and various fuels to create the distinctive red glow of roadside hazard flares.

The structure of a firework is also an intricate brew of craft and engineering. There are two kinds of firework "shells". Cylindrical American-European style shells, typically seven to thirty centimeters in diameter, are launched from metal, cardboard, or plastic mortar tubes. A portion of black powder in the bottom of the shell is ignited, which propels the tube a few hundred meters into the air. A time delay fuse begins burning when the shell is set off; some seconds later, when the shell is far above the ground, a bursting charge of black powder breaks the shell open and ignites pellets of color composition (called stars), which are irregularly packed into the shell. The stars are expelled in a random pattern of light and color. This type of firework may also contain several ounces of flash and sound powder rather than stars and a bursting charge. Such a shell, called a salute, produces a flash of light and a loud boom instead of a burst of color.

Round Japanese-style chrysanthemum shells are similar in diameter to American-European shells, and they, too, are launched from mortar tubes.In chrysanthemum shells the stars are arranged in a sphere about a central black powder bursting charge. When the charge explodes, it ignites the numerous stars and distributes them in a round, symmetrical pattern. Depending on the size and chemical composition of the stars, result can vary from a quick flash to an extended trail. The trail may even change color if the stars contain more than one layer of color producing composition.

Some American-European shells contain several compartments, each with its own bursting charge and stars (or flash and sound powder). When one compartment explodes, it ignites a time delay fuse that leads to the next compartment. In this way, a single shell can produce multiple bursts. Incredibly, the protective barriers that separate the explosive compartments are fabricated from nothing more exotic than cardboard.

In addition to light, pyrotechnics is often exploited for its production of heat. The best known heat generating pyrotechnic, the safety match, contains an energetic blend of potassium chlorate oxidizer and sulfur, along with a glue-like fuel and binder.

Calcium silicide fuel mixed with iron oxide generates a moderate amount of heat but no gas. During World War II small pyrotechnic devices containing this composition and a fuse were built into cans of rations so that they could be warmed in the absence of a stove. Time delay mixtures, usually pressed columns containing boron, tungsten, or silicon fuel, produce a controlled dose of heat for a specific length of time that can then set off a larger reaction. Such mixtures are used to control the timing sequence in various aerospace devices, including the exploding bolts that rapidly jettison emergency exit hatches and spent rocket stages; similar time delays prevent hand grenades from exploding as soon as the pin is pulled and lever released. Decoy compositions have been developed to protect aircraft from enemy heat seeking missiles. These compositions emit infrared radiation the emulates the thermal signature of a jet engine.

Heat production is often associated with the emission of smoke and gas. Colored smoke grenades, used for signaling and for daytime displays, contain a mixture of potassium chlorate oxidizer and sugar fuel that, when activated, vaporizes organic dyes to create a richly hued smoke cloud. Sugar is used because it burns at a low temperature; a hotter flame would disintegrate the dyes.

Solid fuel rockets are in essence giant pyrotechnic devices designed to optimize gas production. Each space shuttle booster rocket contains half a million kilograms of a propellant consisting of energetic pulverized aluminum fuel and ammonium perchlorate oxidizer; the mixture also includes a special fuel and binder called poly-butadiene-acrylic acid-acrylonitrile terpolymer (PBAN). When oxidized, PBAN releases copious quantities of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gas and steam that help loft the shuttle into space. Ammonium perchlorate is well suited for this application because its decomposition products are all gasses, and so it enhances the rockets' thrust.

Gas generation on a smaller scale creates the whistle effect heard in some fireworks. Compositions containing potassium perchlorate oxidizer and an organic salt (such as sodium salicylate, a chemical cousin of aspirin) burn one layer at a time and emit gas in spurts. When such compositions are pressed in narrow tubes, the rapid pulses of escaping gas create a whistling sound.

The most appropriate application for a particular pyrotechnic mixture is largely determined by the reactivity of its oxidizer and its fuel. The reactivity of the fuel is closely related to the amount of energy (heat of combustion) liberated when it combines with oxygen. Metals release large amounts of energy when oxidized; sugar releases relatively little. Charcoal and natural materials such as red gum, a tree secretion, produce moderate heat needed to activate the color producing compounds in a firework.

The reactivity of an oxidizer depends on two main factors: decomposition temperature and heat of decomposition. At decomposition temperature, the oxidizer begins to release oxygen at a significant rate. Heat of decomposition, as the term implies, is the amount of heat required to decompose the oxidizer in order to release the oxygen. This amount can be positive (endothermic), in which case decomposition absorbs heat, or negative (exothermic), in which case it generates heat.

Potassium chlorate decomposes at a low 360 degrees C and is exothermic; it is used in smoke grenades and household matches because it is energetic and easily activated. At the other extreme, iron oxide decomposes at nearly 1500 degrees C and is strongly endothermic. It can be activated only by an energetic metallic fuel such as aluminum.

Packaging and the homogeneity of a pyrotechnic mixture also affect its reaction rate. As every maker of a pipe bomb knows, confinement significantly speeds up the pyrotechnic process by concentrating heat and hot gas near the reaction site. A mixture that burns at a controlled rate in the open can explode violently if confined. In general, the greater the homogeneity of the fuel and oxidizer, the faster the burning rate.

Liquid compositions can be extremely homogeneous and therefore highly reactive and sensitive to ignition. Liquids also could settle out during storage, thereby upsetting the chemical balance. Early versions of dynamite of porous materials (such as sawdust) soaked in liquid nitroglycerin, were extremely unstable precisely for this reason.

Reactivity is greatest when the oxidizer and fuel are blended at the atomic level and the electron accepting oxidizer is located immediately adjacent to the atom or ion of fuel that donates the electrons when the pyrotechnic reaction is initiated. Such energetic atomic mixtures are, strictly speaking, explosives not pyrotechnics, but the principles underlying their behavior is similar. Nitroglycerine, for instance has the molecular formula C3N3H5O9. A small disturbance (heat or impact, for instance) causes it to decompose into carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), nitrogen (N2) and a little excess oxygen (O2). In the process, nitrogen-oxygen atomic bonds are replaced by far more stable carbon-oxygen, hydrogen-oxygen and nitrogen-nitrogen bonds; the result is a violent release of energy.

A less familiar, but increasingly important, material of this kind is sodium azide, the active component in automotive airbags. This compound consists of interpenetrating lattices of ions of sodium and azide (a group of three chemically bond nitrogen atoms). An energetic impact disrupts the lattice structure. The sodium combines with oxygen while the nitrogen atoms regroup into pairs to form a large quantity of nitrogen gas.

Improving safety demands a detailed understanding of the phenomenon of ignition.

Ignition begins when energy from some source; a flame, friction, impact, spark, elevated temperature or even laser beam, breaks the chemical bonds in a pyrotechnic mixture. As a result, more stable bonds are formed and energy is released. If the energy is adequate to activate the next layer of the mixture, the reaction continues; if the energy is absorbed by the surrounding material or is insufficient to activate the next layer, the reaction dies out.

A box with 30 pcs. "3602 Triple Break" rockets were accidentally dropped down on some wooden material (w/nails?), exploded (for still unknown reason) and started the fire which quickly spread to the other fireworks nearby.

The police got the alarm at 14:02, evacuations started at 14:09. At 15:25 the container which first started to burn suddenly exploded and killed one firefighter. At 17:45 the first of 3 big explosions occured when the main storage blew up. The explosions messured 2,2 on the Richter scale. 4 days later the fire was put out. 800 men were fighting the fire, 350 firefighters, 150 policemen and 300 soldiers. They say it will take at least a year to clean up all the mess. 8 firetrucks (fire engines?) were lost also.

Source (in danish) : Kolding City´s own official homepage (last updated 17-02-2005)

The investigators concluded that it was an accident and nobody will be charged for anything at all. This desicion made many of the victims mad as hell. They protest and demand that somebody should be held responsible.