Industrial Fires & Explosions page 11 – Safety Engineering (SAFTENG)

Industrial Fires & Explosions Page #11

Worker flown to hospital after explosion (a worker was flown to a Medical Center from a refrigerant compressor plant after an explosion – there was no fire – this explosion involved a refrigerant compressor that had received too much air pressure and did explode onto the victim – no other workers were injured in the accident)

Five shipyard workers hurt in fire aboard Navy cruiser Leyte Gulf (five shipyard workers were injured, some burned, when fumes “flashed” into a small fire aboard the guided missile cruiser – the incident, at 9:29 a.m., came as the ship is undergoing modernization – crews, working in a berthing area two decks below the main deck, were using a lacquer thinner to strip floors – fumes from the cleaning materials built up and ignited, investigators from the shipyard and the fire department determined – exactly what sparked the fumes could not be determined – five civilian workers were hurt in the flash)

Damage light in three-alarm blaze at Flakeboard plant (a fire that broke out caused light damage and left one person injured – the injured employee was treated at the hospital and released – production will likely be shut down for at least 72 hours – the fire started in the production area, then spread through the building and into the silos and caused a dust explosion – firefighters are trying to figure out how it started – about 25 people were working when the fire started and were evacuated from the building)

Fire, Explosion At Wood Products Plant (firefighters battled a blaze at a wood products plant following several reports from residents who said they heard a loud explosion – the extent of the damage was not immediately known, but authorities said all workers made it out of the plant safely)

Lead Smelting Plant Fire Kills 8 in Gansu (a lead smelting plant caught fire killing eight people and injuring 10, including three who are listed in serious condition – the accident occurred at about 8:30 AM when a boiler, which was still being tested in a lead plant suddenly blew out oxygen enrichment and ignited a fire – three of the victims were technicians on site from a metallurgy institution, the designer of the boiler – authorities are still investigation the cause of the fire)

Worker Burned After Plant Explosion (a small explosion at a business sent a man to the hospital – workers say a propane tank exploded – one employee has third degree burns on his arms – the fire was put out before the fire engine arrived – the man will likely be taken to a burn center for treatment)

Fire at four million gallon fuel farm tank halts rail, river traffic (police had to evacuate residences and businesses in the area as a 40 foot by 50 foot fuel tank was on fire – the fire is out now, but part of the giant tank collapsed – a small fire on the outside of the tank was reported at 11:20 a.m. – firefighters extinguished that in short order; however, there was a concern of a possible tank rupture – the tank has a capacity of four million gallons – the tank was being off-loaded late in the afternoon because of safety concerns – officials would not speculate as to a cause of the small fire, but said workers were welding at the tank at the time)

Fire at Romic burns worker’s ears (the employee received first and second-degree burns on his ears when a 55-gallon drum of flammable liquids burst into flames – the incident occurred at 8:15 a.m. when the drum the employee was handling ruptured – a mixture of flammable solvents ignited – the worker’s injury did not require overnight hospitalization, so it was not required to be reported – according to the company, the steel drum contained a mixture of solvents, including acetone and isopropyl alcohol)

Explosion and Fire Rocked (an explosion and fire rocked a manufacturing plant, sending one employee to the Hospital with burns on his hands and shoulders – plant manufactures fire logs – when firefighters arrived, the fire was out and the company’s sprinkler system had completely soaked the four-storey building – the area of the explosion was where the sawdust was located – the cause is unknown but the sawdust likely caught a spark and ignited – the explosion happened when an employee went to check on a pit to see how empty it was – no one else was hurt in the fire)

Plant Fire in Black River Falls (all of the employees at the plant were able to get out safely, but the fire department says the building has $100,000 in damage – the fire started in a paint spray booth – firefighters credit the five sprinklers in the building for containing the fire and say without them the entire building would have likely been lost)

Worker At Northwest Charlotte Tire Business Burned When Clothes … (one person is fighting to live after a business caught fire – flames broke out just before 10:30 a.m. – workers believe an electrical fire sparked some chemicals nearby – the clothes of a man standing near the chemicals burst into flames – the injured man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries – he has second- and third-degree burns to about 60 percent of his body)

Air tank explosion injures four men at O’Daniel plant (a portable air tank explosion at the plant injured four men around 5:10 p.m. – according to information gathered at the scene and from sheriff’s office reports, the men were working on a portable air tank that was thought to belong to one of them – one of the men had welded shut a hole in the tank and was pressurizing the tank to test it when it exploded – one suffered a severe injury to his lower left leg and was airlifted from the scene – the other three men were taken by local ambulances to the hospital – reportedly suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his face – the other two men were less severely injured)

Explosion rocks Philadelphia (the blast is believed to have occurred after a construction worker accidentally struck a natural gas line, which ignited, causing the explosion – nine people were injured, taken to the hospital, treated and released – no fatalities were reported due to the blast – businesses along the street more than 800 feet away reported windows being blown out and roof damage – three cars parked in front of the beauty shop sustained heavy damage – authorities said an investigation on the exact cause of the incident will continue for several days)

One Injured in Explosion on Raleigh County (one person was taken to the hospital after an explosion – officials say fumes built up from PVC glue and cleaner that a construction worker was handling – the worker then lit a torch to solder copper – that’s when the explosion happened – the exact condition of the victim is unknown, but they do believe he only suffered minor injuries – there is no structural damage at the site)

Steam explosion shakes downtown (a blast of steam belched asbestos-filled debris into the crowded center of Downtown forcing several businesses to be evacuated – next to the manhole cover from which the blast erupted, a utility pickup was covered in a thick brown substance – a worker, his shirt and jeans splattered with the stuff, stood nearby – paramedics reported no injuries from the actual explosion – a bicycle courier was taken to the hospital for examination – two workers declined treatment)

7 workers are injured in accident at steel mill (a ball of flame erupted as molten steel was poured from a too-hot furnace, injuring seven workers at a steel mill – the cause of the accident and the condition of the workers were not immediately known – all seven were wearing flame-retardant protective clothing and were standing next to the plant’s No. 1 oxygen furnace when they were “hit with this backlash of extreme heat, slag and molten steel,” – it wasn’t an explosion, it’s what they refer to as a squish – the furnace operator realized the vessel containing the steel was up to 3,285 degrees, about 275 degrees hotter than it should have been – the worker added 5,000 pounds of lime and 3,500 pounds of briquettes to lower the temperature, but the squish occurred as the vessel was tilted for pouring)

Worker severely injured in water plant ‘explosion’ (a 39-year-old father of five is keeping his fingers crossed that he will not permanently lose his sight, after he sustained severe injuries to both his eyes, when a piece of equipment in the water plant “exploded” in his face while he was working on it around 11:30am – three of the five persons on site at the time were injured – two of the five are employees, one of whom was among the injured – some 200 tiny fragments and about six “large pieces” of metal were removed from his eyes during surgery – he also received several stitches to his eyes and is now at home recuperating – additional pieces of metal still remained in his eyes and face – he had been instructed to dismantle a piece of equipment attached to the reverse osmosis plant used to desalinate seawater, after it was assumed that the equipment was not functioning – the only time they are allowed to work on the equipment is when there is a leak – oxygen had been placed in the “sphere” prior to his working on it and when he attempted to dismantle it, it “exploded like a time bomb,” severely injuring him in the face, with pieces of rusted metal piercing his face and eyes)

Four hurt in plant explosion in Lawrence County (officials are investigating an explosion that injured four workers, one seriously – the explosion happened about 9:30 a.m. when workers were mixing ingredients as part of the plant’s routine production process – three of the injured men were taken to a Hospital and one was flown to Mercy Hospital – authorities are still investigating the cause of the blast which caused at least $500,000 damage to the plant)

Storage Tanks Catch Fire at Lenoir Plant (firefighters needed five hours to put out a fire that struck the storage tanks at a plant – fire Department responded to the blaze at 3 p.m. after an off-duty firefighter was walking near the company and saw smoke – the fire started in storage tanks holding chicken fat and soybean oil outside the building – the company uses the liquids to make bio-diesel fuel – one-third of the two 9,000-gallon tanks were on fire – some of the liquids in the holding tanks spilled out into a creek)

Fire sweeps through Harris Plant ducts (a fire sent workers out of the Plant as heavy smoke poured out of the building – the fire was contained within 30 minutes, and all employees were safely evacuated from the plant – the blaze began in the weave room, then extended into the ductworks through the filter house – the flames were quickly contained to the ductwork, and firefighters continued working to douse the fire throughout the early morning)

Explosion Causes Major Fire in Topton (a water leak at a plant leads to a small explosion – the plant runs high temperature processing through a furnace – the plants owner states water leaked into one of the furnaces… causing the water to boil – once the pressure was high enough… the furnace blew… starting the fire inside the plant – the pressure was so intense it blew the garage door from its hinges – there was minimal damage from the blast)

Marlborough chemical plant evacuated after explosion (a small chemical explosion forced the evacuation of a plant – although no one was injured in the explosion – work was halted for a short period – the minor explosion was caused when material on a hot plate boiled over and sent a cloud of smoke into the air, triggering the smoke detector to set off the fire alarm for the whole facility – lab workers had something on a hot plate – the chemical that sparked the explosion – monoethanolamine – is a colorless liquid commonly used in detergents and soaps)

PG&E subcontractor injured in gas line fire (a subcontractor suffered burns to his face and neck when a gas line he was welding ignited – the accident happened shortly before 11:30 a.m. while the worker was in a trench – the man was treated on a resident’s front lawn before he was taken by ambulance to a medical Center – he suffered non-life-threatening injuries – nobody else was injured, but people were told to stay in their homes or a safe distance from where the gas line caught fire residents and the injured man’s coworkers battled the fire with garden hoses, and it was out by the time the first firefighters arrived – the subcontractor was welding a copper gas line to another copper gas line when the incident occurred)

Russian oil refinery blaze put out (there has been a fire at an oil refinery – there were no casualties – the fire broke out after an explosion in an oil feed pipe – more than 100 firefighters and 24 fire appliances tackled the blaze – the oil is still leaking but it’s being cleared up)

Worker burned in industrial accident (an employee was taken to the Hospital with burns – the 58-year-old woman suffered second-degree burns to her arm and another burn to her face in the 5:30 a.m. incident at the plant – the woman was hurt in the plant’s melt shop while working with a hot-water hose that also sprayed a man working with her – he was not seriously injured and required no hospital attention – firefighters were called to the plant twice this week; a crane engine caught fire there about 9 a.m. Wednesday)

Four dead in Siberian plastics plant blast (a chemical explosion at a plastics plant killed four people – preliminary information says that four people are dead, four injured – no poisonous gas clouds had been recorded as a result of the blast, which cause was unclear)

Fire At Coors Distributing Plant Extinguished (the flames are out and now it’s time for clean-up at the Distributing Plant – the fire started around 3 p.m. – crews used an end loader to tear up a burned down building and clean up pallets left behind – people were burning trash when the wind blew some of the ashes onto an area where they store pallets – they caught fire and that spread to a storage building that houses paperwork which also caught fire)

Worker critically burned in explosion (a worker, 25, at a fabrication company sustained burns over most of his body when hot metal apparently ignited fumes inside a barrel, which exploded – he took the brunt of an explosion, which enveloped his body in flames and knocked him about 20 feet into an adjacent building – the owner of the business, was operating a welding torch when the accident took place, but suffered only minor injuries and was treated at the scene – the burned man was taken to the Burn Unit with second- or third-degree burns over up to 80 percent of his body)

Workers safe as blaze damages metals plant (no one was injured in the industrial fire that caused an estimated $500,000 in damage after erupting around 7:50 a.m. – the blaze was triggered when a worker at the metal-processing plant was grinding parts and the sparks ignited a wall – the employee initially tried to extinguish the fire on his own, “but it had too much of a jump,” – the fire was contained to one portion of the building but damage was extensive because the wooden structure had a type of roof that’s more susceptible to collapse – fifteen employees were in the building at the time and all escaped safely)

Workers swamped in sludge when pipe explodes (two employees at the Treatment Plant who were smothered in sewage after a pipe suddenly exploded – the area where the pipe explosion took place was off-line for routine maintenance – two employees were replacing a valve when the pipe burst, deluging them in approximately 100 gallons of sewage – the workers were decontaminated at the scene and taken to a local hospital for observation – they were not seriously injured – it was unclear what caused the explosion)

Gas Explosion Injures 11 (a gas explosion injured 11 workers – welding gas leaked through a cover and was ignited by a spark – the accident left a 46-year-old laborer with serious injuries while 10 other workers were sent to neighboring hospitals for treatment – all of the injured were working on an assembled hatch cover of a ship using gas-welding equipment – while some were seriously injured, others suffered slight burns – there were no gas barrels at the scene of the accident – the laborers were using gas through a pipe that was linked to the main gas storage tank of the ship plant – gas leaked from the pipe and are investigating the exact causes of the accident)

Fire breaks out in The Times building (contractors working to dismantle a printing presses accidentally started a fire in the newspaper’s headquarters, but the blaze was quickly extinguished – there were no injuries, and offices and newsroom were undamaged – the fire started at about 3 p.m. when sparks from a contractor’s cutting torch ignited old paper dust and cardboard, inks, oils and other lubricants that had accumulated in and beneath the presses during decades of use – staffers were in the process of evacuating the building as firefighters arrived – when firefighters got inside, they found three contractors in the pressroom trying to fight the flames with a garden hose – the men’s faces and hands were black from the smoke – the building’s automatic sprinkler system helped contain the fire)

Chevron begins fire investigation (everyone (refinery employees and subcontractors) has been accounted for and there were no injuries related to this incident – officials praised the refinery’s response team that were onsite moments after the alarm sounded and curtailed what could have resulted in a major incident – one person in the refinery parking lot suffered from heat exhaustion and a nearby resident reported a panic attack – the fire began about 2:15 p.m. and was contained by the refinery’s emergency response team, which had the blaze contained about 4:30 p.m. – some subcontractors who worked near the fire said in interviews they heard booming noises when it heated up but never heard an explosion, and some residents reported hearing a loud noise – no word on cause)

Warnings after fire at BP field in Alaska (company had a key part of its fire-suppression system turned off when a fire broke out at its Alaska oilfield, endangering at least one worker, who ran to escape the flames – the incident came after an advocate for workers, warned Congress that replacement of the oilfield’s antiquated fire suppression system had been deferred on grounds of cost – the outdated system interfered with corrosion monitoring, so it had been turned off for up to 12 hours while the company explored the gathering centres for pipe corrosion)

One dead, two injured in oil refinery accident in West Siberia (one person has died and two others have been injured in an accident at an oil refinery – the accident occurred at 03:50 a.m. at a compressor station when leaks from equipment caused fire – the fire was soon extinguished while the injured persons were hospitalized – an investigation into the accident is under way)

One dies in petrochemical plant blast in Romania (a powerful explosion at Romania’s biggest petrochemical complex left one dead and seven wounded – the accident is believed to have been caused by a failure of the circulation pump that increased the pressure at one of the plastic reactors and triggered the blast – no toxic leakage has been reported)

Massive Blaze Shuts Down Sharjah Port (a port was closed after an inferno erupted at a lubricants warehouse – the reason for the fire, which brought heavy loss, is unknown – no casualties were reported – the fire, which started at around 11.20 p.m. is believed to have started from a small factory in an adjacent industrial area and spread to a depot in the port)

Sugar-dust explosion (employees sustained relatively minor injuries when a welding torch ignited sugar dust at the cake-making plant, causing a moderate explosion)

Injury forces mall closure; Worker burned at expansion site (a worker was connecting into a 400-amp, three-phase 600-volt switch when a panel arc flashed – the injured man was 27 years old and had serious flash burns to his face and arms)

Fire in China’s tallest building stopped (firemen have extinguished a blaze on high floors of China’s tallest building – there were no casualties – the fire at the 101-storey building , which is under construction and close to completion, was apparently caused by a welding torch which ignited workplace materials)

1 Hospitalized After Vo-Tech Explosion, Fire (an explosion and fire at a County Vo-Tech school sent one employee to the hospital – it happened just before 2 p.m. – an employee was filling up a riding lawn tractor with gasoline in the maintenance shed – it somehow blew up)

One worker injured in Harvard lab fire (a university lab fire injured one lab worker – the 25-year-old lab worker was taken to a Hospital for burns to his chest – fire officials described the worker’s injuries were non-life threatening – the worker suffered first and second-degree burns and was held in the hospital overnight – the fire ignited under a laboratory hood when methanol mixed with Rubidium, a metallic element that reacts with water – the fire was confined to the laboratory hood and firefighters used a dry chemical extinguisher — instead of water — to put out the blaze)

Worker injured in Interlake incident (an electrical explosion at a plant injured one worker and resulted in smoke filling the building – firefighters got a call at 1:50 p.m. and were at the plant until 2:53 p.m. – electricians were working on a high-voltage system when the explosion occurred – the sprinkler system activated, and smoke filled the building, but firemen did not have any fire to put out – a worker who was injured was transported to a Medical Center)

No injuries reported at plant fire in The Woodlands (a fire erupted at a drill bit manufacturing facility after several containers of combustible gas exploded – no injuries were reported in the 4 p.m blaze – multiple containers of Acetylene, a combustible gas used in welding, were sitting on a flat-bed truck behind the facility when they exploded – all of the facility’s 800 employees evacuated safely – damage to the building appears minimal – it is too early to speculate on the cause of the explosion)

Fire in Houston this week may have common factors with July … (investigators are looking into whether or not an acetylene fire in Houston is connected to the fiery explosions that occurred at Southwest Industrial Gases in Dallas in late July – delivery trailers from the same company were involved – comapny is fully participating in the investigation being handled by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, an independent agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents)

Firefighters keep watch at UVa power plant (after toiling for 22 hours in oven-like conditions, firefighters managed to control a smoldering coal fire inside the University’s heating plant – at its peak, temperatures inside one coal hopper climbed as high as 300 degrees – the smoldering coal posed a risk of ignition or explosion – the cause of the coal blaze was unknown)

Blaze causes $1M damage (two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion as they battled a vicious blaze – firefighters returned twice to the scene as the fire rekindled at the storage facility which was likely set on fire from a lightning strike during a storm – the damage is estimated thus far is $1 million – a storage tank full of materials used in welding and some propane was exploding with debris flying through the walls at times)

Flash Fire at Chattanooga Manufacturing Plant (some employees narrowly escaped serious injury when their cutting torch sparked a flash fire – it happened shortly after 9:00 a.m. when workers were using a cutting torch on some metal – workers told firefighters on the scene that they had a “burn back” through the supply lines to the oxygen and acetylene tanks – what exactly happened isn’t clear, but it appears that the oxygen supply line somehow ruptured and ignited – workers described it as an explosion, but Chief said it was probably more of a flash fire, rather than an explosion, since the supply tanks were not involved – there was no fire when the first firefighters arrived on the scene – no serious injuries were reported – one worker complained of “ringing ears” and was treated on the scene by paramedics)

Fire closes Big Flats plant for day (operations at the manufacturing facility shut down after steel titanium chips caught fire in a hopper at the rear of the company’s property – the cause of the fire, which required special chemical agents to extinguish it, is still under investigation – the fire was confined to the refuse hopper and no one was injured during the incident – during the fire, the company’s employees were evacuated from the building and later dismissed for the day)

Blaze at plant injures 3 (three firefighters were taken to a hospital after fire officials say the plant caught fire in six different locations inside the industrial area – fire was found in both the plant’s conveyor system and several bins – for three hours firefighters battled blazes at six different points along the conveyor system, in an area where the wood processing begins – three firefighters were taken to a Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion – the fire was likely caused by either wood chips or saw dust being ignited by the hot conveyor belt)

2nd worker dies after explosion on freighter at Aichi shipyard (a worker who was left unconscious after an explosion on a large freighter being built at a shipyard died – worker, 24, a painter, died from serious burns he suffered in the accident – another painter, 24, also died – four other workers remain injured, one seriously – police suspect that paint that vaporized on the ship caught fire – they are investigating the exact cause of the blast – workers were blown a distance of about 20 meters by the blast)

Repair worker burned when boat catches fire (a man doing repairs on a 32-foot inboard boat suffered burns about the face and hands when the boat caught fire – the man was working in the inboard motor compartment when the flash fire ignited – the man might have been subjected to internal burns to his lungs from the explosion)

30 staff evacuate fuse fire at Target (30 people were evacuated from the store after a fusebox fire – fire broke out as an electrician was working on a switchboard near the store about 8.20am – a food court and the store were clogged with smoke and 30 people, who were mainly employees were evacuated – the man suffered just minor burns to his hands and opted to receive treatment)

Flames Engulf Warehouse In Miami (the blaze started just before 9 a.m. when sparks from a welding machine caused insulation in the warehouse to catch fire – the blaze quickly spread, sending plumes of smoke over the area – the fire was so dangerous, that firefighters were forced to fight it from the outside in. Firefighters said the warehouse had a truss roof, which made it too dangerous for firefighters to go inside the building)

Drum explosion evacuates Laird, one worker exposed to materials (the building shut down for the day after a 55-gallon drum of peroxide and chloride exploded – one employee was exposed to the mixture, when the explosion occurred at about 11:30 a.m., had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital – the room in which the explosion occurred was sealed off)

Worker injured after explosion (a worker was injured after an explosion at a company, but the injuries were not directly caused by the explosion – a temporary employee, who had been working for five months, caused the explosion while cleaning a 300-gallon plastic container – the employee, 31, was using a vacuum tube to remove latex paint residue from the container and put it into a second 300-gallon container – the second container held hydrochloric acid residue, which caused an explosion when contacted by the latex paint – the employee turned to run and his head hit a beam – the incident caused no environmental, health or safety concerns – neither container was damaged, but the vacuum tube was shattered – the container that held hydrochloric acid should not have been in the area where the man was working)

Crews called to refinery (firefighters were among those called to tackle a blaze at a petroleum refinery – four appliances, including two specialist chemical spillage vehicles, were sent to deal with the massive blaze – a derelict former chemical works ignited in the early hours, sending potentially dangerous black smoke billowing across nearby housing estates – police warned residents to keep their windows closed until the blaze was out – no-one was believed to have been hurt in the fire, because the building was empty)

Workers Spark Pair of High Rise Fires in Los Angeles (firefighters quickly tamed a pair of structure fires that erupted in two separate high-rise buildings undergoing renovation – firefighters arrived quickly to discover smoke showing from the 17th floor of a high-rise office building undergoing a major renovation – making their way up a stairway through the largely demolished interior of the 273,765 square-foot building while carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment, teams of Firefighters soon confined a stubborn blaze to debris that included insulation – fire was fully extinguished in less than 40 minutes, and there were no injuries – loss from the fire is still being tabulated – the blaze is attributed to the careless use of a welder’s torch – little more than an hour after fully extinguishing that blaze, many of the same Firefighters responded to another fire – firefighters arrived quickly to find smoke showing from the northeast corner of the 8th floor of a 170,000 square-foot high-rise office building undergoing a residential transformation – according to witnesses, the fuel line of a pressure washer being used on the 8th floor suddenly ruptured, causing an intense fire – an adult male worker, who unsuccessfully attempted to fight the fire, sustained moderate smoke inhalation – he was subsequently evaluated by Paramedics before transport to Good Samaritan Hospital in fair condition – no other injuries were reported)

UPDATE Report: Inadequate safety controls led to fatal plant explosion (inadequate safety controls for chemical reaction hazards led to an explosion at a chemical plant that killed one worker and injured 14 others last year – on Jan. 31., 2006, employees at the plant were making a paint additive in a 1,500-gallon reactor when chemical vapor escaped, creating a subsequent vapor cloud explosion and fires – the blast leveled much of the plant, blew out windows several blocks away, and injured all 12 employees on duty and some passers-by – the plant’s facilities maintenance head died after suffering severe burns – the reactor “lacked basic safeguards to prevent, detect and mitigate runaway reactions, and that essential safety management practices were not in place.” – the accident occurred when plant managers attempted to fulfill an order for acrylic polymer that exceeded the normal batch size for the product – instead of making two smaller batches, managers decided to make a single, larger batch)

No Injuries In Explosion At Western Sugar Factory In Nebraska (authorities evacuated the factory after a small explosion in the packing warehouse – no one was injured in the explosion and ensuing fire – a small explosion occurred about 11 a.m. in a dust collector above the packaging floor – firefighters were aided by a sprinkler system at the plant, and the fire was extinguished by 12:30 p.m. – a cause had not been verified, it likely was a malfunctioning bearing or belt in the dust collector, which sucks dust off the packaging floor – an explosion at the factory in July 1996 toppled three storage silos at the plant, killing one worker)

ANOTHER WELDING SUPPLY BUSINESS FIRE Firefighters contain plant fire in Maryland Heights (a fire at a gases and welding equipment plant was quickly contained by fire crews, preventing a potentially hazardous and larger blaze – upon arrival, firefighters found a large tank of liquid oxygen behind the building on fire – it took crews about 40 minutes to douse the blaze, which included a thick white cloud of departing liquid oxygen that looked like dry ice – the fire damaged the tank and the roof of the plant – no one was injured – workers at surrounding businesses in the industrial park area were evacuated as a precaution – the fire likely was caused by a malfunctioning piston on a pump near one of the tanks – as crews tried to suppress the fire, some of the water froze when it came in contact with the oxygen)

Fire crews called to power station blaze (crews were sent to the scene following reports of a fire involving oxy-acetylene welding sets – a 200-metre exclusion zone was set up as firefighters tackled the incident, which turned out to be minor, according to power station bosses – no-one was hurt)

Fire likely caused by discarded cigarette (a discarded cigarette left to smolder in bark mulch for several hours was the likely culprit in a fire that damaged the Welding Supply building – the building experienced between $40,000 and $50,000 worth of damage after the mulch ignited and caught nearby shrubbery on fire, then spread to the west side of the building – no one was injured in the fire – WHO SMOKES AT A WELDING SUPPLY STORE?!?!?!?!?!)

2 injured in blast at idled mine (two people were injured in an explosion that investigators believe occurred as they used a cutting torch to steal metal at an idled coal mine – investigators found evidence an acetylene torch set off a methane explosion about 1 a.m. – investigators believe the victims were using the torch to cut steel beams from a sealed ventilation shaft – the shaft was sealed with 18 inches of concrete, reinforced with the beams and ventilated with a steel pipe that allows methane to bleed out of the mine – the victims were taken to hospitals and one was sent to a burn center, but she had no additional information about them or their condition)
Hondo Chemical plant fire is extinguished (a fire that erupted at a local chemical plant has been extinguished – workers at the plant were running a machine that breaks down rubble shortly before the fire broke out – fire investigators don’t know the exact cause of the fire, but suspect there was something smoldering underneath the machine, thereby igniting a fire around midnight that spread to a nearby pile of sulfur material)
Worker dies a month after cylinder blast (a man died, exactly a month after he and a co-worker were seriously injured when a cylinder containing chemicals exploded at their workplace – thirty-year-old worker who suffered 85 per cent burn injuries died in hospital at around 1pm – co-worker, 25, is still being treated – he had suffered 25pc burns and is expected to recover soon – the restaurant owner could face criminal charges after ordering his employees to drill into the cylinder, which then exploded injuring the two men and started a fire)

Aviation community devastated by fatal airport explosion, “We’re working towards affordable space flight for everyone … these people gave up their lives for that.” Posted 7/27/07 BAKERSFIELD – Three people died and as many were injured in an explosion at Mojave Airport Thursday. via KGET-TV Bakersfield

Three deaths in rocket test probed, “We will await the results of the investigation before further comment, but we have complete confidence that the causes of the incident will be found in due course.” Charles May was the consummate rocketeer. As a child, he built model rockets in his spare time. via Daily News

Explosions at Dallas Gas Facility Injures 3 (a series of explosions at a gas facility sent flaming debris raining onto highways and buildings near downtown and injured at least three people – authorities evacuated a half-mile area surrounding the facility and shut down parts of nearby Interstates 30 and 35, snarling traffic for miles around one of the area’s busiest freeway interchanges – the accident was caused by a malfunctioning connector used to join acetylene tanks during the filling process – he said the three who were injured included the manager and a worker at the facility, as well as a truck driver – the explosions began about 9:30 a.m. and continued for at least a half hour, sending burning gas cylinders and other debris flying like missiles onto highways, parking lots and nearby businesses)

2 Killed In Explosion At Mojave Airport (an explosion killed two workers and critically injured four others at a desert airport site used by the pioneering aerospace company that sent the first private manned rocket into space – it was not immediately known what exploded or how it happened – accident involved nitrous oxide, but it was not known if an actual rocket motor test was under way or whether it occurred during preparation for a test)

Controversy rages on as refinery fire dies down (it started with a loud roaring noise that shattered the early morning peace – the deafening din signalled the beginning of a major incident that resulted in vast amounts of thick black smoke billowing from the refinery – more than 24 hours after the drama began, smoke was still pouring from two of the flare stacks that burn off excess gasses – experts are examining the cause and consequences of the incident, which began with a fire in the refinery’s steam plant – blaze wrecked the equipment that enables staff to inject steam into the flares and thus dilute the emissions)

Cause of pipe blast that injured worker unknown (construction workers are not sure what caused a water pipe to burst sending one man to the hospital – worker was tapping the pipe in a trench when it exploded in his face, nearly drowning him – he remained in intensive care in stable condition with a skull fracture)

3 Ohio firefighters out of hospital and Investigators Say Heat Gun May Be Cause Of Indian Hill Fire (three firefighters hurt battling a massive house blaze have been released from the hospital and five others who were still being treated are responding well – the five patients there were in stable condition in the burn unit – those firefighters and a sixth were injured after a “rapid-fire expansion” – an eruption of heated air and fire – engulfed them inside a house blowing out several of the house’s windows and a hole in the roof – the fire started in the attic on the third floor – officials suspect that a torch used in the removal of paint may have started the fire)

Four dead in Aramco blaze (four people died at a fire at the world’s largest offshore oil export facility – twelve were injured, including one official from the plant and 11 workers from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – the fire was brought under control within an hour after it erupted – the fire took place on a berth that was undergoing maintenance – under investigation)

UPDATE Officials offer details in solvent explosion (an investigator with the state fire marshal’s office, has said that the explosion occurred about 9 a.m. as two employees were pumping 3,100 gallons of the solvent naptholite from a truck into a 24-foot-tall tank that was nearly empty – the truck was properly grounded as it was unloading, and documents on file showed that the plant’s 43 storage tanks were certified as properly grounded six months ago – static electricity nevertheless built up in the tank and when the vapors inside ignited, the tank blew several hundred feet into the air – the two employees emptying the truck escaped injury – the initial blast caused an explosion in an adjacent tank, which flew into the air and fell straight back down – a chain reaction of explosions followed – those explosions blew the tops off of three tanks, and one of the tops struck a mobile home – there were only 16 inches of liquid in the first tank that exploded – he said there are no regulations on how full the tanks must be kept)

Colorado Workers Exposed In Chemical Explosion (four workers were exposed in a chemical explosion at the Filter Plant – there was a chlorine leak and four worker who were exposed were decontaminated – two were sent to the hospital with minor respiratory injuries – four firefighters were also decontaminated – initially, just after a explosion there was a fog and gas cloud hovering in the area – no evacuations were ordered but residents in the area were cautioned to stay inside, keep their doors and windows closed and to turn off their air conditioners, swamp coolers and other types of ventilation systems – the road that the plant is on was closed – the chemical explosion occurred when a truck was unloading chemicals – plant is a water treatment plant)

Three injured in steel mill fire (steel mill experienced a small fire that resulted in three workers being injured – several employees were working with a torch when a small fire broke out – the fire was put out and employees were taken to a hospital – two were released after being treated for minor injuries – one employee is still being treated – the investigation into exactly how the fire started has already begun, but no details have been released yet)

Fire knocks out production at Ohio refinery (a small fire damaged an oil refinery and cut production to about 25 percent – the damage was limited to an electrical substation where the fire began – no one was injured)

Man hurt in industrial accident in Dunedin (a man suffered a chemical burn in an industrial accident at the plant – the 40-year-old plant employee was burned when he came into contact with a chemical solution, possibly a cleaning agent – how it happened is under investigation – his condition is reported as serious)

GREAT EXAMPLE FOR DELAYED HOTWORK FIRES!!! Fire contained at AV Home Depot (firefighters contained a fire at a building still under construction – they used two cranes to reach the building’s second-story façade, which is what caught fire – a welding spark most likely caused the blaze – damage was about $30,000 – welders used standard safety precautions by leaving around 1 p.m. after the wind picked up – about 2:15, a call came in reporting the fire at the building)

1 Dies In Plant Explosion (an explosion and fire broke out at an industrial business leaving one man dead – a tank of diesel fuel caught fire, igniting nearby equipment – a welder was installing a level gauge on a storage tank when the explosion occurred – he died at the scene – fire officials said a spark from welding might have igniting fumes and caused the blast)

Barton Solvents plant fire causes evacuation (hundreds of people were evacuated after an explosion at a solvents plant ignited about 660,000 pounds of chemicals – the explosion at 9:15 a.m. touched off a blaze that drew firefighters from several area departments – flames were shooting up to 200 feet into the air – the cause of the fire wouldn’t be determined until it was extinguished and inspectors could survey the damage – all the employees were safe – there are 36 storage tanks at the plant – all of them were burning – the storage tanks contained industrial chemicals, including hydrocarbons, alcohol and ketones, used in the paint and coatings industry – the mandatory evacuation of the 2-mile radius around the plant was canceled around 10:50 a.m., but authorities were not immediately allowing those who left back in and some people closest to the plant were still being urged to leave – authorities were still urging people within an a half mile upwind and one mile downwind of the plant to leave)

Meat plant man fights for his life (a 53-YEAR-OLD man is battling for his life in the high dependency unit after being overcome by fumes in the meat rendering plant – he was one of four people, including a paramedic called to the incident, who appeared to have been overcome by toxic fumes, possibly hydrogen sulphide, that may have come from rotting carcasses – two other male employees, aged 53 and 34, are being treated for irritation to their lungs in the hospital’s short-stay ward – the 53-year-old, who has severe damage to his lungs, was in a critical condition – it is believed the victims’ symptoms may have been caused by some form of gas inhalation, possibly hydrogen sulphide, from rotting meat)

Recycling Plant Fire Keeps Crews Working Overnight (firefighters worked overnight to control a stubborn fire that broke out around 9:30 p.m. at a metal recycling plant – huge piles of automobile parts were burning, sending flames more than 50 feet into the air and producing billowing, dense black smoke – no evacuations were necessary – cause of the fire is under investigation)

Small fire at Alcoa aluminum plant (a fire broke out at an aluminum – plant firefighters say molten aluminum spilled over catching other nearby materials on fire – the blaze was put out quickly with no injuries and minor damages)

Explosion at Doe Run Wakes Herculaneum Residents, By Alex Fees – An explosion Friday night at the Doe Run Lead Smelting Plant injured two male employees and startled many residents of the Jefferson County town of Herculaneum. via KSDK-TV Saint Louis

Roofing Material Blamed For Fire At Fort Worth Motel (fire Department officials believe smoldering roofing materials left by a construction worker may be the cause of a fire at the Inn – no rooms were burned by the fire, but 34 residents were evacuated due to smoke and water damage – damages to the motel and its contents are estimated to be $300,000)

Welder’s torch sets new school still under construction on fire (a new elementary school still under construction caught on fire, prompting firefighters to dissemble parts of the building that had just been put together – fire officials said a welder’s torch sparked the fire – two welders were working on the roof when they caught the insulation on fire – firefighters were forced to deconstruct the new roof, bolt by bolt, in order to reach the flames)

Tanker fire kills two workers (two men were killed when a tanker ship undergoing repairs caught on fire – the two men, aged 26 and 60, were killed when a fire broke out during welding work on the hull of the tanker – none of the 90 workers completing repair work on board the ship’s deck were hurt – an overheated lamp is suspected as a likely cause of the fire, which was preceded by an explosion – port authorities arrested the ship’s captain, the technician in charge of safety on the vessel and the supervisor in charge of the crew on which the two dead men worked)

Fire Consumes Part Of Vacant Airport Tower (one worker has been injured by the fire that broke out at a private ground traffic control tower under construction – officials say the fire started after hot roofing tar spilled from a pot and ignited – the fire appeared to be confined to the domed upper deck of the tower, which is part of a construction project at the airport – the injured worker suffered burns, but authorities say the injury is minor)

Fire at Las Vegas resort construction site seen as accidental (fire officials say a two-alarm fire that caused about $100,000′ worth of damage at the construction site might’ve been accidentally sparked by a welder’s torch – no injuries were reported after firefighters doused the fire)

Propane torch blamed for museum fire (a propane torch used to strip paint was blamed for starting a fire at a Historical Museum – a crew working outside had been using the torch to heat up paint at the museum – the fire damaged the structure’s attic and roof – estimated there was $40,000 damage to the building)

Fire destroys Bartow plant (a massive blaze sparked at a manufacturing plant gutted it and leaving more than 350 employees with no place to work – plant was completely destroyed in a blaze that started just before 9:30 p.m. – firefighters say when they arrived the flames were already shooting through the roof of the plant – several employees say they saw the flames and had to run to escape, but everyone inside was able to make it out – no word yet on what sparked the fire, and officials are calling it suspicious – firefighters do say that the air filters the plant produces could have helped to spread the fire because of the flammable materials they contain)

Propane tank fire causes Nutraflo evacuation (flames ignited propane gas from a tank being used at the plant, evacuating about 50 employees and contractors doing construction at the site – contractors using a 100-pound propane tank and a torch while replacing a floor had relit the torch too close to the tank valve, which was accidentally left open – the lit torch set the propane gas stream on fire – firefighters turned on a water hose and used it to douse the flames so they could get close enough to turn the valve off)

Fire damages part of Petrobras’ offshore oil rig in Brazil (a fire damaged part a huge offshore oil rig – the fire broke out in a room containing gas compression units on the P-50 rig off Brazil’s south Atlantic coast – no one was hurt during the blaze and no oil leaked into the sea from the rig)
Fire damages sawdust silo of Tiffin furniture maker (a fire caused extensive damage to a sawdust silo at a ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturing plant – a spark from a machine at the factory or from the dust collection system apparently ignited the fire – there were no injuries – no damage estimate – the dust collection system was damaged extensively)

Tanker fire at Sunoco refinery extinguished (a four-alarm fire – sparked when lightning struck a chemical storage tank at a refinery has been extinguished – no injuries were reported during the firefighting effort at the refinery – the fire was caused by a lightning strike – was contained to a single tank – the white cylindrical tank contained 1.5 million gallons of Xylene, a highly flammable gasoline additive – lightning struck the tank during a passing thunderstorm)

One dead in explosion at Harris County business, One man is dead after an explosion today at a dump truck manufacturing plant in northwest Harris County. via Houston Chronicle

Fire Guts Warri Refinery, Oil Vessels Torched (a massive explosion, caused by crude spillage from one of the tanks at the refinery resulted in an inferno that gutted part of the ailing refinery – although no life was lost, vessels including badges and boats and other valuables, were said to have been torched as the ravaging fire spread over to the River , where the oil vessels were berthing)
Fire Damages Part of Petrobras Oil Rig (a fire damaged part a huge offshore oil rig – the fire broke out in a room containing gas compression units on the P-50 rig – no one was hurt during the afternoon blaze and no oil leaked into the sea from the rig)

Reported explosion at chemical plant “is not suspicious” (an explosion at a chemical plant was not being treated as suspicious – police sealed off roads around the plant after reports of a loud explosion at around 7.10pm tonight – no one was believed to have been injured in what was described as “some sort of internal accident – the exact nature of the incident was still unclear with the fire service and company engineers investigating – power company was not connecting a power cut, around the same time, in the area to the incident at the plant)

Employee injured in Bethlehem factory blast (an explosion sent one man to the hospital with minor burns to his hands and the back of his head – a spark from a milling machine ignited flammable material in the air inside the factory, causing an explosion that injured an employee, 34, was taken to a Medical Center and later released – the explosion resulted in a fire that spread throughout the immediate area inside the factory – all employees evacuated the building without incident)

Boiler Explodes on ISU Campus (a boiler room explosion had emergency responders on a local campus – an explosion and smoke coming from the Gym building – soon after, Public Safety reported a second explosion – fire crews entered the building and found that the boiler had blown itself away from the wall – there was no fire or fire damage as the explosion was contained to the boiler room and no injuries were reported)

Worker Killed in Explosion (a man, 20, was killed on the job following a powerful explosion at a construction business – he had been an employee at the business for three years – he was alone in the company’s service bay, using a blow torch to open a safe that had been discarded – it is not known what was in the safe, but it exploded when sparks from the blow torch came in contact with it – the cause of the explosion was difficult to investigate because no one saw it – it was felt hundreds of feet away)

Seven injured in Taoyuan explosion (an explosion at a chemical plant injured seven people and delayed arrivals at an International Airport for more than three hours – a boiler exploded at around 9:40am – soon afterwards, storage tanks at the chemical plant also caught fire – seven people, all of them employees of the company, were injured during the fire)

Two airlifted after oil tank explosion (two men were injured in an explosion in an oil tank – the blast produced a column of black smoke 200 feet high – two men were injured in the blast; one a man in his 50s, the other in his late teens – the accident occurred as maintenance was being performed on a large oil tank – two individuals were burned, probably second-degree and some third-degree – one had burns confined mostly to his hands – the older man had more serious burns, also on his hands, as well as on his face – the explosion was believed to have occurred when the men were using a torch to try to free a rusted bolt – the tank is known as a “gun barrel,” and is used for settling water out of oil after it’s pumped up out of the ground at a well – it holds up to 100 barrels of crude oil and it was estimated that it was no more than five percent full mostly of sludge)

Cutting Torch Ignites Solvent, Torches are tools too, and they deserve as much respect as a chainsaw or a nail gun. In a few short seconds, torches can burn right to the bone, cause an explosion or start a fatal fire. The victim in this incident may not have known about the can of solvent present right next to his workspace. Had he known, it would have taken only a moment to remove it and save his life. Read the fatality report at Safety|Smart!

Blaze Claims 2 Buildings At Fireworks Storage Site (firefighters battled a large blaze at a fireworks storage facility – the building exploded igniting a large fire in the surrounding area – the blaze spread to another building, causing it to explode – it was unclear what exactly caused the fireworks to explode, but workers inside a building were preparing fireworks for an upcoming show when the first explosion occurred – one worker was treated for an injury to his hand following the explosion)

Chemical leak, fire interrupt production in two industries (a chemical leak at one industry and a fire at a second manufacturing plant sent workers scurrying outside and interrupted production – one firefighter was injured when a stack of wooden pallets loaded with products waiting to be shipped fell on him – the first alarm was received at 7:45 a.m. when firefighters were dispatched to a leak of anhydrous ammonia from a refrigeration area of the plant – the plant was immediately evacuated and although the leak was stopped by the closing of a valve, firefighters donned hazardous materials gear to enter the enclosed area where the leak was reported – firefighters then vented the area before workers were allowed back to work – before firemen could clear that call, they were dispatched at 9:15 a.m. to another facility – the fire was discovered in an enclosed shipping area where wooden pallets were placed before being loaded onto trucks for distribution – the plant’s sprinkler system did the job – the sprinklers kept it from spreading from the shipping area)

Explosions rip through Eau Claire plant (explosions sent fireballs hundreds of feet into the air as flames gutted an industrial chemical recycling plant – no injuries were reported and air monitoring had not picked up any hazardous chemicals about nine hours later – the plant was heavily damaged – subsequent explosions sent balls of fire more than 300 feet in the air, prompting firefighters to retreat from the site for several hours – the fire started in the plant’s processing plant and triggered a boiler explosion – about 10 workers were just finishing the night shift and were unable to put the fire out with fire extinguishers)

Fire damages Sefton plant (fire seriously damaged a pressing line at a fibreboard plant – fire crews helped douse the blaze which broke out about 5.45am and spread to an extractor fan – the aerial appliance tackled the extractor fire by pouring water down a chimney which turned to steam and helped smother the fire)
Blaze damages Times-Dispatch printing plant (a fire that started in a press at the printing plant filled the facility with smoke and water and forced the newspaper to look elsewhere to print its Sunday edition – the fire broke out shortly after noon, apparently in a folder on one of the newspaper’s three presses – there was a blast of such force that “it knocked one pressman down but he wasn’t injured – no serious injuries were reported, but more than a dozen rescue and fire units, including hazardous material personnel were on the scene for more than three hours before the blaze was contained – the cause of the fire was not immediately known)
Fire at Energy Plant (a plant that produces energy was damaged by fire – the flames apparently got their start in a conveyor belt, and spread to a supply of wood pellets burned to make energy – the fire was out quickly – no one was hurt)

Employee injured in fire mishap (an employee sustained critical burn injuries following a fire mishap – the mishap occurred at the oven in the Coke Oven Department – the coke over the pushing car whose side gate was not shut properly, started pushing burning coals which gushed out of the door – as burning coals fell on the cabin of the quenching car, its panic-stricken operator jumped out of the car only to land on the burning coals on the ground)

One dead in power substation blast (one worker was killed and six people were injured in an explosion at a power substation – the cause of the explosion, which also brought down a large part of the substation was not immediately known – photo @ link)
Officials are investigating incinerator explosion (officials are investigating an explosion at a hazardous waste incinerator – an explosion occurred just before 2 p.m. in a pipe as part of the incineration process – a worker was taken to the hospital for what was believed initially to be a broken collar bone – a female OEPA emissions monitor who was at the site was knocked off her chair by the explosion – she was not injured – a white vapor or cloud was visible for about 15 to 20 minutes after the explosion, which would indicate materials were entering the atmosphere)

BOILER EXPLOSION 1 Injured at Dana Corp. Plant (one person was seriously injured after a boiler burst at a rubber plant – a maintenance worker, was airlifted to a University Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition after the accident at the rubber extrusion plant – the explosion blew out a 30-foot hole in the building’s side and caused damage to the roof and buildings in a parking lot – the cause is being investigated)

Factory explosion kills 4 in Çorlu (four employees died in an explosion in the boiler room of a curtain factory – the oil boiler exploded due to gas flow problems – no other details)

Man injured in hotel explosion (a chemical reaction forced the evacuation of the hotel’s pool area and sent a maintenance worker to the hospital – a hotel worker was cleaning drains in a pool with granulated chlorine when a chemical reaction started fuming in a bucket – the reaction caused the bucket to melt – hazmat crews ventilated the pool area and declared it safe by early afternoon – crews treated the maintenance worker and determined that he wasn’t contaminated)

Operator escapes injury after crane accident (an employee had a lucky escape when he was operating a 45 US ton overhead hoist and a cable snapped causing a large hook assembly to fall onto an acetylene torch cart – the broken cable caused an explosion but nobody was injured in an incident that officials said could have been much worse – reports said gas leaked from the cart and exploded, sending a large fireball shooting over the head of the operator – firefighters arrived to find the acetylene tank burning – they let the acetylene burn off to decrease the pressure before extinguishing the fire – the oxygen tank on the torch cart was not compromised)

Explosion rocks concert (a gas leak in a mobile food cart caused a small explosion that injured one and caused parents to scramble in search of their children – at approximately 8:20 p.m. the food cart experienced a small explosion and caught fire, stemming from technical problems that had begun minutes earlier – two of the stand’s employees were tending the cart at the time, one of whom received burns that required medical treatment – the other employee on the job, said she alerted her coworker to a hissing sound as he changed the cart’s propane tank – she immediately instructed him to turn off the gas supply, but as he did so, the leaking gas reached the grill’s flame)

Celina Plant Explosion Injures 1 (one person was injured when an 80,000-gallon pressurized powdered iron ore tank ruptured – the explosion ripped a hole through the roof at the chemical plant – the injured worker was hit by flying red iron dust and debris – the ore is used to purify water for processing at the plant – both fire and plant officials will continue to investigate the cause of the accident)

INL Begins Investigation Into Fire That Burned Worker (Officials at the Laboratory say they are putting together a team of investigators to look into the causes of a fire that burned a lab worker – the employee was treated for minor burns on her hands and several other workers reported respiratory problems after a chemical fire started – the accident posed no threat to the public and no radiation was released)

Explosion injures worker, starts fire (an explosion injured a worker and caused a small fire – apparently, one of the workers was putting something into a vat that contained molten aluminum…and something caused it to explode out of the vat, and it burned him and cut him – the explosion caused some insulation to catch fire inside the building)

Cisco man dies from explosion injuries (a worker has died of injuries suffered in a fiery oil-related explosion – a 64-year-old was cleaning out water pumps on his night shift when a bolt of lightning struck a nearby oil battery – the employee died)

Worker Dead After Flash Fire (a 44-year-old man was fatally injured in a fire – the man was one of three workers coating a wooden floor in a condo building when vapors ignited, causing a flash fire – all three men were critically injured following the fire – the worker was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m. – after sanding the floor inside a unit on the fourth floor of a four-story building, the workers, all men, began putting the coating on the floor when the vapors ignited – a preliminary investigation indicates the water heater may have ignited the vapors – two men were reportedly burned over 100 percent of their bodies, while the third was burned over 40 percent of his body – all three suffered second- and third-degree burns)

Explosion hurls debris high into the air (a business owner accidentally started a fire and explosion that hurled debris more than 300 feet – he started the fire with a cutting torch he was using to remove metal bars from windows at his business – he told investigators he set the torch down and walked around to the side of the building to remove some brush so a mason would have room to work – a short time later, he heard a noise and found the front of the building engulfed in flames – the building contained Oxygen and Acetylene tanks used in welding)

3 injured in fire at Crossville auto parts plant (two workers and a firefighter were injured in an accident at an auto parts plant that caused a fire and reported explosions – flames broke out in the paint storage area of the building after witnesses said they heard explosions – two workers were treated for smoke inhalation -a firefighter was struck by falling debris and treated at a Medical Center – also at a different plant a worker was seriously injured when a high-pressure boiler burst)

Firefighters quickly put out WVC plant fire (firefighters quickly extinguished an early morning fire at the plant – the fire was reported about 1:30 a.m. at the fiber products manufacturing plant – when crews arrived, they found a furnace engulfed in flames – there was no damage to the building’s structure)

Cause of Fire Still Under Investigation, Firefighters from more than 25 departments, some from as far away as Kalamazoo, Michigan continue to battle the fire at VIM Recycling Plant. via WSJV-TV South Bend

Fire at Elkhart Recycling Plant Ruled Accidental, A mulching machine caused the explosions and fire at a lumber recycling plant last week that killed one man and injured two others, authorities said. via WSBT

Fire officials investigating propane explosion, Last updated on: 6/21/2007 7:26:09 AM by Adam Freeman BONITA SPRINGS : The State Fire Marshal and OSHA will be in Bonita Springs Thursday trying to figure out what sparked a propane gas explosion Wednesday … via Nbc-2.com

Investigation of plant fire continues, While fire officials have completed their investigation of a fatal fire at VIM Recycling, state agencies are continuing theirs. via South Bend Tribune

Fire Breaks Out At MERC Plant In Biddeford (firefighters from three departments are on the scene of a fire at the trash plant – the plant has frequent small fires, but this one is apparently more serious – the fire started in the plant’s primary shredder around 4:40 PM, and heavy flames have spread to the roof – there was another fire at the plant earlier, but it was on the other side of the building, and firefighters knocked it down within a couple of hours)

Fire Erupts At Beef Processing Plant (a fire heavily damaged a meat processing plant – dozens of employees were evacuated after trying in vain to put the fire out themselves – the room in question was the mill room – the fire ripped through the area which is filled with beef by-products including a lot of oil and fat – there were 50 to 55 workers that were in the area at the time – those workers detected the fire and attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers and had contacted 911 – no injuries to employees or firefighters – they were able to save a majority of the processing plant – no word on how the fire began)

1 injured in explosion at Bridgeview plant (an employee was injured after a small explosion and fire at an aerosol plant – the plant had a small explosion inside a vat used for mixing chemicals just after 4:55 p.m. – the explosion caused a small fire that was contained to the vat – the explosion happened when an employee was putting heated wax on top of another chemical – a plant employee suffered first-degree burns and was taken to a Medical Center in good condition)

Fire destroys two units at Tustin hotel (fire at the Hotel destroyed two units and led to the evacuation of 25 guests – fire was contained in 21 minutes – the cause was repair work with a welding torch – a plumber working in one of the units and a fire started in the wall – no injuries were reported, and guests were allowed to return to their rooms after the fire was extinguished – damage to the units was estimated at $10,000)

Peerless Chain Co. evacuated after fire (fumes caused by a fire in a dust collector forced about 150 employees to evacuate the plant – there were no injuries as a result of the fire – the fumes it produced caused a full plant evacuation – the fire was quickly put out and caused no further damage)

Fire Damages Dust Collector At Troy Automotive Parts Manufacturer (a spark from a welding torch ignited dust particles in dust a collector – company estimated its damages at $200,000. Of that figure, $40,000 was for a series of filters used to trap the dust created by the manufacturing processes inside the huge complex – plant manufactures parts for the automotive industry – there were no injuries)

Three workers hurt in Amite Co. natural gas well fire (workers injured in a oilfield fire has been transferred to a burn center – the three were working on an oil well, relieving pressure, when the gas ignited – did not know what sparked the fire at the oil well – the fire burned for two or three seconds)

Sixteen killed in separate incidents (a rice mill employee was killed in boiler explosion in the mill – no other details)

Explosion cause remains a mystery (investigators have closed their investigation into the explosion at the plant stating damage was so extensive they are unable to pin down a cause – no charges will be laid as a result – the area of origin was a storage facility housing a large quantity of lithium batteries – the 200 or so homes in the vicinity of the plant were evacuated, some until late the following day)

Chemical reaction forces Greenville plant to evacuate (the plant was evacuated as a precaution after a strong chemical reaction – a 55 gallon drum of hydrogen peroxide was mixed with defoamer at the plant causing a noxious odor – one hundred thirty people were evacuated – ten of those were checked and released from a hospital)

Firefighters douse Quaker Oats fire (firefighters responded to a fire call at the plant – five vehicles and 15 firefighters were sent to theplant after a fire alarm was pulled on the third floor of the building – firefighters found a fire in the industrial processing equipment – all occupants in the area were accounted for and there were no injuries – an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing and there is no damage estimate)

One year later, questions linger about grain elevator death, “Just pay the fine and be done with it.” When Meghann Grossoehme arrived at Cargill Inc.’s grain elevator at 1845 N.W. Gordon on June 14, 2006, she was informed that her husband, Scott, had been killed in an accident. via The Topeka Capital-Journal

Unsafe Work Conditions Caused Fatal Oilfield Explosion, Unsafe work conditions contributed to a deadly Mississippi oilfield explosion in 2006, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said Tuesday. via Canadian Business Magazine

Cause still unclear in Indian Creek tower blast, ‘ Both men injured in an explosion inside the Indian Creek water tower late Tuesday morning were released from treatment at a Springfield hospital by Wednesday afternoon. via Pantagraph

Condition of man injured in oil field fire upgraded, Condition of man injured in oil field fire upgraded Parshall , N.D. A man critically injured in a fire at an oil well site near Parshall last month has been upgraded to serious condition at Regents Hospital … via KXMB-TV Bismarck

Oil Fire Injures Several Workers (several workers were hurt – at least three of them critically – in a fire at an oil facility – one person was airlifted to a Burn Center, two people are in critical condition, two are also hospitalized in stable condition and two others were treated for minor injuries and released – no word on cause)

Broken Arrow Business Destroyed By Fire (a blaze that first was reported as a grass fire destroyed an industrial facility – the fire was contained to the building – the fire was reported as a grass fire about 4:30 p.m., but when the first firetruck arrived, firefighters saw that the building was on fire – the flames had spread to the roof before additional firefighters could arrive – a furnace at the plant, where sandblasting and powder-coat refinishing was done, started the fire, but investigators had not determined what went wrong – workers were able to get out of the building safely, and no injuries were reported)

Fire engulfs chemical factory (several buildings are on fire after a series of gas canister explosions at a chemicals factory – a 200-metre cordon has been set up around the large blaze at the plant – witnesses said sparks initially started the fire in a machine that crushes used aerosol canisters – plant was reported to be removing “undesirable chemicals” from the site to avoid the fire – the fire, which spread to surrounding buildings, has sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Residents within the exclusion zone were being advised to leave their homes and surrounding roads were closed)

Coal mine blast kills 13 in N China (thirteen miners have been confirmed dead after a gas blast in a coal mine – the explosion occurred at 7:10 pm – an initial investigation showed 13 workers were killed in the accident – the cause of the blast is still being investigated)

UPDATE Static electricity blamed in propane fire (it appears static electricity played a role in the massive fire at a propane gas company – further investigation showed that an electrical charge ignited the spent gas while workers were emptying 20-gallon tanks causing a fireball that shot 100 feet into the sky and led to evacuations.- fire inspector initially believed human error might have caused the spark, perhaps by containers being tossed and striking each other – now he believes static electricity caused by the tanks resting on plastic pallets led to the fire – it sparked when a worker used a screwdriver to empty a tank – none of the tanks were grounded – the worker touched the tank and an arc jumped from the screwdriver)

Fireman called to Casino stockfeed mill (sparks from a welder’s torch had set one of the silos smoking earlier in the day, prompting the evacuation of all workers from the site at about 4.40pm. – a maintenance worker and his apprentice had been welding silo G3 when they noticed smoke coming from the hopper, or funnel, of the silo)

Lightning Sparks Fire At Refinery (another lighting fire at the refinery – 2nd in a month)

Oil Fire Injures Several Workers (several workers were hurt – at least three of them critically – in a fire at an oil facility – one person was airlifted to a Burn Center, two people are in critical condition at a hospital, two are also hospitalized in stable condition and two others were treated for minor injuries and released – officials declined to give any further information about the fire)

Worker, firefighter injured in blaze at Joplin factory (a firefighter and an employee were injured in an industrial fire at the company – the fire was reported at 1:06 a.m. – firefighters said that when they arrived at 1:10 a.m., they found fire coming out of the roof on the west side of the building – the fire was coming from a dryer inside the building and was quickly put out – one employee was injured and was taken to a burn unit – a firefighter also was taken where he was treated and later in the day released)

Worker dies after blast at metal shop (a worker at a metal-plating plant died from burns suffered in a boiler explosion that critically injured two coworkers – the three men were working about 9:45 p.m. in the melt shop when the boiler exploded – two men were flown to the a Medical Center, where one later died and the other was in critical condition – the third worker was airlifted where he was in critical condition)

One worker still critical after oil rig fire northwest of Parshall…, One worker still critical after oil rig fire northwest of Parshall STANLEY, N.D. One of seven workers injured in a weekend oil rig fire northwest of Parshall is listed in critical condition. via KXMB-TV Bismarck

Explosion at chemical plant injures firefighter (an explosion at a chemical plant was reported around 11:30 p.m. – nothing caught fire and none of the employees were injured, although a firefighter was treated on the scene for overheating – the explosion was caused by plastic powder – no other details)

Workers injured in gas line explosion (several workers are injured when an explosion rocks a site where they were installing a new gas main – none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening – five of the company’s workers were taken to the hospital for evaluation – one has a back injury and four have burns – the crew was installing a new two-inch gas main at the intersection – gas escaped and ignited when the line either ruptured or separated at about 8:25)

Siberian mine blast kills at least 38 (at least 38 people were killed and seven injured in a methane explosion at a Russian coal mine – all 217 people in the mine at the time of the blast have been accounted for – authorities in the coal-rich region, sought to close the mine earlier this year over safety violations – one of the seven miners injured in the blast, which occurred 520 m below the surface, is in critical conditions, while others suffered serious burns and traumatic injuries)

Factory fire caused by torch, authorities say (a spark from a cutting torch near combustibles caused the fire at the factory – workers were demolishing the building and started the fire – no damage estimate given, since the building was in the midst of being destroyed – this was the second time in four months that the demolition team has caused a fire at the factory)

Firefighters respond to morning blaze at Johns Manville plant in … (more than 40 firefighters responded to the plant after a fire broke out in a massive rooftop air exchange unit – no one was injured and the plant was not evacuated – no word on cause)

Fire at Seminole County water treatment plant (the fire broke out in an exhaust stack that was being demolished – there were no reports of injuries)

Fire at Patna airport, operations normal (a minor fire broke out at the airport terminal building but was soon doused without causing any major damage – the fire started during the welding of an air conditioner duct close to the VIP entrance – the blaze was quite small, it was put out by the airport staff without any major damage)

Fire extinguished at Moscow television tower (Roundup) (a fire broke out on the tallest structure in Europe and Asia – it was extinguished an hour after it began – sparks from welding work on the tower were to blame – the fire occurred as a result of sparks falling on insulation materials under a balcony’ on the tower – visitors and construction workers near the scene were evacuated, and no casualties were reported)

Fire guts chunk of Houlton motel (no one was injured as a result of the blaze, which officials say started when a maintenance worker at the motel was reportedly using a propane torch to repair a pipe inside one of the rooms in the front section of the motel

Explosion causes small fire at rubber plant in Plainfield (an explosion in a high voltage line knocked out electric power to the plant and caused a small fire at the rear of the plan – firefighters had to wait until workers shut off power on the 480-volt lines before they could safely put water on the fire – the building was evacuated and no one was hurt – the high-voltage lines run from a small power sub-station to the rear of the mill – the lines are attached to a buss bar on the exterior of a small section of the plant and then continue into the main building – the explosion occurred in the buss box and the fire damaged the roof and overhang of the outbuilding)

Grain bins spark fire investigation in Eaton (fire department spent much of their day investigating a possible heat problem at bins – the fire department was called shortly before 8 a.m. when sensors indicated there could be a problem in bins which store feed additives – the fire department decided to cool the bins with water, prior to then being off-loaded – no fire was detected at any location around the complex and there have been no injuries – a small piece of wood was caught in the bin and was causing some sparks, which set off the sensors in the bins)

Fire At Maple Leaf Foods Processing Plant (plant was shut down by an early morning fire – the fire started just before 3:30 a.m. in the second-floor scale room, on a conveyor line where packaged meat is weighed and packed – damage to the building and contents will likely exceed $800,000 – there was smoke and water damage throughout the building – while employees were working at the time, staff were on a break – there were no injuries)

UPDATE 2 Americans blamed in Lithuania fire (two U.S. citizens running the oil refinery have been accused of negligence that led to a major fire last year – experts determined that the two are culpable for delays in urgent maintenance works – before the accident, Russia‘s Yukos and the Lithuanian government sold a combined 83 percent in the refinery to Poland‘s PKN Orlen for $2.3 billion – the Polish company changed most of the refinery‘s senior personnel, but these two stayed)

Transformer failure caused refinery shut down (refinery officials said a power outage that forced the evacuation of 1,550 workers at the plant was caused internally – no one was injured – an investigation found that an internal failure of a transformer resulted in low voltage in the plant power grid – this caused the electrical equipment throughout the refinery to shut down – there also was a small fire in the crude unit – refinery officials followed standard precautionary procedures and evacuated about 225 employees and 1,325 contractors working on routine maintenance of the plant and on the construction of a coker unit – operating staff continued to run the plant while the emergency response team controled the situation)

Fumes send eight to hospital after a fire in BC recycling plant (fumes from a fire in a chemical recycling plant sent eight people to hospital – the two-alarm fire started in the warehouse – a police officer and three firefighters had to be decontaminated by a hazardous material team – those being treated for inhaling noxious fumes went to hospital complaining of nausea and vomiting – fire crews are now investigating the case of the fire)

No one hurt in fire at Derry manufacturing plant (employees of a cushion manufacturing plant were sent home early after a fire broke out on a conveyor belt – the 20-year-old company manufacturers shipboard and prison mattresses, as well as airline and public transportation seat cushioning – a conveyor belt, which heats the molds for the products, cuaght fire – that was put on in 10 to 15 minutes – the fire then spread to the roof area, but it was confined to that area and contained in 45 minutes – employees were evacuated as a precaution and sent home – no injuries were reported)

Fire damages wood facility (a spark in the system that collects dust from the wood-shaving process caused a fire – the blaze destroyed a portion of the shaving-collection shed – one maintenance employee, who was in the vicinity of the fire, was taken to the Regional Medical Center as a precautionary measure – the intense heat of the fire caused the tires on two 18-wheel shaving-shed vans to explode – preliminary estimates put the damage to the shed and trailers at about $25,000 to $30,000 – the cause of the fire was still under investigation, but preliminary investigation points to a possible small engine malfunction in the shaving blower, Johnson said)

Fire out at former Doehler-Jarvis plant (damage has been estimated at about $5,000 from a fire that started at the former foundry and casting plant – the fire was started by a welder’s torch that caught bins on fire in an outside rack storage area)

Fire hits Chena Hot Springs geothermal power plant (the power plant was knocked out by a fire ignited by welding sparks – there were no injuries and only minor damage to the building that houses the power plant – but the power control system was damaged in the fire and will have to be replaced – the fire broke out about 10 a.m. set off by welding sparks from an overhead door being installed in the building)

Man in critical condition after flash fire while welding (a 47-year-old man was critically injured in an industrial accident when he was burned in a flash fire while using a cutting torch to remove metal straps off a junk car’s gas tank – the victim was in the process of cutting off the metal straps from a gasoline tank he was dismantling and was holding the tank when residual gas fumes inside the tank ignited and burned his face and upper torso – co-workers used extinguishers to put the fire out before emergency workers arrived – first- and second-degree burns over 50 percent of his body – victim was burned on his face, chest, arms, belly and legs)

Springfield Business Fire (construction in downtown leads to an accidental fire – the fire started around 1:00 p.m. – it started near a window when a construction worker’s torch set it on fire – the worker was doing some facade work on the copper outside – no one was hurt, but investigators say the buildings history forced them to stay on the scene a little longer)

One injured in fire at Lebanon’s Amtex (a fire sent one worker to a medical center – the blaze began shortly after 9 a.m. in a machine used to heat and stretch carpet for car interiors and spread through a flue to the building’s tar roof – estimated the damage to the building at about $50,000 – no other injuries were reported)

Fire crews tackling chemical factory fire (a chemical fire has led to fears for the environment and concerns that neighbours could suffer breathing problems – firefighters are still tackling a blaze involving 40 chemical drums at a factory – they are stacked up outside a Welding vendor and contain unknown powdered chemicals)

Fire at Gothenburg oil refinery (a fire broke out at a refinery – there was a fire in the plant for refining crude oil – it has been blocked off and now we are in the process of cooling the unit – all staff in the area affected by the blaze were evacuated)

Fire at Recycling Plant (a 2-alarm fire at a recycling plant has been brought under control by fire crews – it started in a storage facility on the property – the storage unit was just filled with old newspaper, so the fire is not considered toxic – no one was hurt – fire officials are still investigating a cause)

Bedford propane plant erupts into an inferno (a spectacular fire at a propane plant burned one employee, destroyed at least two buildings, blew small propane tanks hundreds of feet into the air, and forced a three-hour evacuation of homes and businesses within a 1 1/2-mile radius – the fire was considered so dangerous that firefighters withdrew from the scene for about three hours – the worker suffered first, second, and third degree burns and drove himself to seek treatment without firefighters’ knowledge – the fire started where a worker was draining gas from propane tanks – he blamed the blaze on static electricity or a spark created by the screwdriver he was using to loosen a screw from a propane tank – he paints, fills, and washes propane tanks at the firm where he has been employed for almost 11 months)

Fireworks Mishap Critically Injures Sky Sox Worker (the unexpected detonation of fireworks injured an employee – the employee, 47, a long-time staffer was critically injured – there was some kind of explosion – he was preparing a pyrotechnics display to go off with every home run – he suffered head trauma and serious facial injuries – he was the only person working on the fireworks when the explosion occurred)

Muffler business destroyed by fire (sparks from a welder’s torch that ignited spilled gasoline is thought to have started a raging inferno which destroyed an auto garage – there was one guy working on a gas tank and the other guy was welding – the guy working on the gas tank, he slipped and he dropped the gas tank, and the guy welding, a spark went on it – less than five minutes and everything was gone – workers couldn’t stop the spreading fire)

Explosion at west side worksite (a 16-year-old boy suffered severe facial trauma in an unexplained explosion at a truck-parts company – the teen was using a blow torch to cut the rim off a 45-gallon drum moments before the barrel exploded and shot steel into his face)

Blast near Coalinga kills welder (one man was killed and a 20,000-square-foot building partially collapsed after an explosion in a packing shed – the blast ripped through the building about 2:45 p.m. while one man was welding inside the structure – for a reason not immediately determined, the welding torch set off fumes inside the building, causing a flash fire and explosion, he said. The power of the blast lifted the building’s second floor and sent it crashing back down onto the structure – the welder was dead when firefighters reached the scene – one other man was operating a forklift inside the building when the explosion occurred – the blast knocked him off the machine, but he was able to escape the building with only minor injuries – photo @ link)

One Killed In Chemical Factory Explosion In China’s Hebei (a workshop in a chemical factory exploded leaving one worker dead and dozens injured – the blast occurred at 1:40 p.m. at a workshop – the workshop’s power and water supplies were cut off immediately after the accident and more than 2,000 residents in the surrounding villages were evacuated in case of a possible toxic gas leak – no word yet on cause)

UPDATE Feds: Plant to blame in blast (the state fire marshal’s office and the Chemical Safety Board identified a mixture of flammable solvents as the fuel for the explosion – on the day before the blast, workers filled a 3,000-gallon tank with a mixture of chemicals, including heptane and propyl alcohol – that mixture became overheated, vapors filled the unattended plant, and an unknown spark triggered the explosion at around 2:45 a.m.)

HOTWORK FATALITY Explosion, Fire, Building Collapse at Harris Ranch Farms Packing Plant (an explosion at the Loading Dock caused the building to be ripped to shreds – a welding accident is to blame for the fire, explosion and collapse of the large steel building – one person died and searchers have looked through the rubble to find more people who may be trapped inside – the body of the killed worker has not yet been removed from the building – there was a welding operation that apparently hit some sort of fumes, and ignited a severe explosion that compromised the building – a 20,000 square foot, metal building compromised by the explosion – massive structural damage to that facility and the entire second story collapsed down to the first story)

Explosion at South Valley packing plant kills one, An explosion, and collapse at the Harris Fresh packing plant near Coalinga claimed the life of one person and injured several others Friday afternoon, according to Cal Fire officials. via KSEE-TV

Vent System Shut Down Prior To Danvers Explosion, DANVERS A ventilation system in an ink and paint factory had been purposely turned off before a massive explosion caused by built-up chemical vapors ripped through a neighborhood, investigators said Wednesday. via WBZ TV

Second burn victim from Iatan power plant dies, A second worker who was critically injured when a water line at the Iatan power plant ruptured Wednesday, has died, a Kansas City Power and Light official said this morning. via Kansas City Star

Lessons from the Danvers explosion, “If they were complying with the regulations that exist and they had best practices in place”, Two agencies have now traced the cause of the Nov. 22 Danversport blast to a buildup and ignition of chemicals within the industrial plant. via EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

8 join suit over Falk explosion, Seven men and one woman injured in an explosion at Rexnord Industries’ Falk plant have joined a lawsuit seeking damages from a local contractor accused of improperly installing a propane pipe on the property. via Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal

Campus chemical explosion injures one, shuts down portion of campus (a chemical experiment gone awry caused a minor explosion and forced police and hazardous materials safety officials to shut down part of campus – the explosion occurred in an upper level of a Physics lab just after 5 p.m. when a student performing an experiment mixed two volatile powdered substances – officials evacuated the building and the immediate surrounding area, but said the contamination had been contained to one room)

Road worker seriously injured in gas cylinder explosion (a man is in a serious condition in hospital after being injured in an explosion while laying road markings – the man suffered serious burns when a gas cylinder exploded on the truck that was laying the markings)

Ammonia blast at meat factory kills worker, injures another (one worker was killed and another injured in an ammonia pipe explosion at a meat factory – an ammonia pipe 100 mm in diameter was damaged by a truck while it was maneuvering in the factory’s compound – liquid ammonia spilled out onto an area of about 100 square meters as a result – one man was fatally injured – rescuers poured water to settle down poisonous gas escaping from a pipe in the factory’s refrigeration system and to reduce its concentration in the air, and ammonia supplies have been cut off – a previous ammonia explosion occurred at a cold storage facility in Moscow in April 2004, when three people were injured in a fire caused by a major ammonia leak)

Fire at Morton Welding Co. (fire crews are trying to determine what started a massive fire that sent flames shooting high in the air and caused several propane tanks to explode – the fire started around 5:30pm outside the building in a stack of plastic pallets used for storage – four to five propane tanks exploded during the course of the fire)

Exxon Mobil Singapore refinery hit by fire (refinery reported a fire at one of its oil refinery which left two contractors dead – two other contractors were injured in the incident – no word on cause)

Worker is burned as petrol fumes catch fire (worker suffered burns when petrol fumes caught light in an engineering yard, destroying three cars and damaging part of the building – the 23-year-old man had been siphoning petrol from one of the cars when the incident happened – he suffered superficial burns to his right arm and firefighters treated him with specialist dressings before paramedics took him to a Hospital – still investigating the cause of the fire but somehow the fumes have ignited)

Explosion injures Republic Engineered Products worker (a worker was injured by an explosion near the blast furnace – the worker was treated and released for injuries, which the fire department described as non life-threatening – explosion didn’t destroy anything – the incident occurred in the ”pig-iron machine,” an auxiliary metal-processing operation)

Crews contain fire at refinery in Woods Cross (the sound of explosions and thick black smoke caused concern – a fire at the Oil refinery broke out at just before 8 p.m. – residents say they heard a number of explosions and the smoke could be seen – it took crews just 15 minutes to contain the fire and workers were able to quickly shut off valves to keep the fire from spreading – the cause of the fire is under investigation)

Workers die in site blaze (two workers died when the electricity room where they were working caught fire following a blast – the two workers were on duty when the accident occurred – one of the workers died on the spot and the other succumbed to injuries before he could be taken to a hospital)

Fallbrook Plant Fire (the fire started around 5 in the morning at the former plant – firefighters say demolition workers were using a torch to cut steel when the flames broke out – no one was hurt and firefighters were able to put the fire out before it spread to the neighboring plant)

Roof workers start fire and house is destroyed (residents of a multifamily house were left homeless but uninjured in one of two fires that broke out – a two-alarm fire tore through the three-story house leaving at least five people homeless – about 50 city firefighters controlled the blaze within 40 minutes – workers were on the roof using torches for hot tar, and the roof caught on fire)

Heroic survivor’s nightmare, Elman Velasquez crawled across the floor as a fireball hugged his slight body. Larry Parton, also covered head to toe in flames, raced toward Jack Brown, who was steps away outside of the burning fat-processing … via The Cincinnati Enquirer

Explosion May Result in Federal Fines, They also accuse the firm of failure to conduct a site analysis to identify hazardous conditions and minimize employee exposure to explosion hazards. via WXOW-TV La Crosse

State To Say Chemicals Caused Danvers Explosion, DANVERS The state fire marshal and Danvers authorities will hold a news conference this afternoon to announce the official cause of last November’s devastating chemical plant explosion. via WBZ TV

Villa Maria Fire (a battery explosion at the Elementary School Athletic Center made for some tense moments – when officials got to the school they found that during a routine monthly generator check-there was some sort of electrical surge in a back up battery, the battery exploded in the face of a maintenance worker and ignited a small fire – the fire extinguished itself before emergency crews arrived – the maintenance worker was treated for minor battery acid burns on scene)

Gas tank explodes (an empty gas tank being removed at a well site exploded around noontime seriously injuring a company worker – the worker, 20, was on top of the tank apparently removing plumbing when it blew up – he was thrown some 75 to 100 feet away from the tank into a wooded section – a second worker was working when the tank blew up and caught fire, Goodge said. – he was slightly injured as he moved a pickup truck from the flaming gas tank – the two men were replacing the empty tank with another one)

Welding accident suspected in fire on warship in yard (authorities suspect a welding accident triggered a smoky fire aboard a first-in-its-class Navy warship nearing completion at a shipyard – no injuries were reported when a berthing area in the 377-foot ship erupted in flames just before dawn)

Employee killed in Sanderson Farms fire (a 52-year-old man lost his life in a fire at the chicken plant – he worked in the maintenance department and had been employed for 14 years – he was in a freezer working with welding equipment when the accident occurred – actual cause of the accident is still under investigation – damage at the plant was minimal)

Welding spark ignites blaze at pallet mill (about 45 firefighters from three towns responded to stop a blaze from a welding spark from spreading – there was a light smoke and small fires showing in three or four areas on the top of two metal buildings, known as the slasher area where logs are cut – the sprinkler system was activated and that’s why the light smoke was showing – the fire started as maintenance workers were welding a kicker-arm on the conveyor system that moves the logs in and out – due to a buildup of sawdust, it caught fire immediately and then hit some hydraulic fluid in the area and took off – the workers, including a person assigned to watch for fire during the welding operation, tried to put the fire out, but did not succeed)

Refinery Fire Could Impact Gas Prices (a fire that engulfed two 80,000-barrel tanks at a refinery could have an impact on gas prices – a lightning strike sparked a fire at the Refinery)

Lightning strike sparks fire at Wynnewood Refinery, no reports of injuries, A tank fire sparked by a lightning strike that engulfed two 80,000-barrel tanks at the Wynnewood Refinery continued to burn Saturday, sending flames and thick black smoke into the air, authorities said.

Wynnewood refinery to keep burning: The incident closed highway through town, evacuated two homes., Sunday | Customer Interaction Solutions, Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 29–WYNNEWOOD — A billowing fire sparked Friday by a bolt of lightning at an oil refinery continued to roar on through Saturday and is expected to continue for days.

Lightning starts fire at Okla. refinery, Sunday | USA Today, Flames and smoke poured into the sky Saturday over an oil refinery where lightning set off a fire and an explosion that was felt miles away, authorities said

Oil refinery explodes, Friday Apr 27 | KHOU-TV Houston, A lightning strike at a Wynnewood, Okla. refinery on Friday caused a fire at the facility for the second time in two years.

Tragedy in Texas City, Photo by Dwight C. Andrews Flames erupt from the BP plant in Texas City following an March 23 explosion. via The Galveston County Daily News

Construction Workers Hurt In Explosions, Fire (two construction workers are recovering after explosions and a two-alarm fire – 20-foot flames were shooting from a piece of heavy equipment – a worker was injured while diving through the machine’s window to escape the blaze – there was a second explosion while paramedics treated the worker – a second man was also hurt, and both were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries – investigators say a 6-inch gas line was hit – the equipment is valued at $500,000 and is a total loss)

Tower of Flame Erupts from Texas Power Plant Explosion (a 100-foot pillar of flame shot out of a Texas power plant – a safety valve opened on a natural gas line and a spark ignited it – the valve worked the way it was supposed to – they’re investigating where the spark came from – no one was injured – a worker was able to shut off the valve after about 20 minutes, killing the flare)

Worker sent to hospital after industrial accident (one man was sent to hospital with burns after an industrial accident – he was grinding on top of a tank of waste anti-freeze at about 1 p.m. – he set off a spark with the grinder and “set off a minor explosion,” – the employee was thrown from the tank and sustained burns and was taken to hospital – “He was grinding … some metal on a tank and it got really hot and he burned himself and started yelling and one of the employees automatically grabbed the fire alarm [as they are trained to do] and that was it,” – the employee sustained some burns)

Worker hurt in Wyoming plant explosion (an explosion seriously injured a worker – a male worker, believed to be in his 30s, was working on a small oxygen cylinder when it exploded shortly before 10 a.m. – the man suffered burns, puncture injuries and a possible broken leg – officials were uncertain about the cause of the blast which happened in the rear of the plant – blast was reportedly heard for several blocks)

Three dead as fireworks factory explodes (an explosion at a fireworks factory killed three people and injured at least two others – the fatalities were the factory’s owner, a relative and a worker – the explosion occurred while workers packed gunpowder into fireworks – the cause of the explosion was under investigation)

Fire at Wichita’s Cargill Plant (firefighters responded to a fire the Vegetable Oils plant – the fire started around 6am inside a deodorizer tank mounted on a pillar about three stories high – firefighters couldn’t use straight water to fight the fire due to the fact that cooking oil was burning – in the end, they flooded the tank with nitrogen to suffocate the fire – experts say fires inside the tank are somewhat common and the plant’s fire control system can usually take care of it – but this time the fire got too hot so workers had to bring in the fire department)

Blaze damages meat processing plant (the fire is believed to have started in a tractor/digger on the ground floor of the two-storey building – the vehicle was severely damaged and around 50 per cent of the 30 metres by 65 metres building was affected by heat and smoke damage – no-one was in the factory at the time of the outbreak)

Fire Rips Through Liverpool Tyre Shredders (a massive fire broke out at the premises of a Tyre Shredder plant – according to eyewitness reports explosions and fireballs ripped through the processing plant – initially six fire engines were called to the scene at 9am, and these were soon joined by another half dozen units as well as an aerial appliance that sprayed water on the blaze – the fire continued to burn strongly, causing the roof of the single-storey facility to collapse)

UPDATE Northern Sawmills Inc. fined $80,000 for health and safety violations (two workers were investigating smoke coming from a “baghouse” (a building that collects dust in bags from planer machines used in the processing of forest products) when a dust explosion occurred – both workers were taken to hospital with minor burns – the Ministry of Labour determined the fire had started on a planer machine and was put out, but a spark somehow traveled to the baghouse through the dust collection system – the incident occurred at the company’s sawmill)

Fire damages car dealership (the quick response of employees and firefighters may have averted tragedy at a car dealership – a fire began about 11 a.m. in the upstairs, parts-storage area – president and manager of the business believes the blaze started when hot sparks from a welding torch ignited ceiling insulation – staff members ran upstairs with fire extinguishers and attempted to put out the fire – the fire departments was there is less than five minutes – no one was injured in the fire, and employees returned to work after being evacuated during the blaze)

Electrical fire at The Dallas Morning News production plant forces … (an electrical fire at theprimary printing facility required an evacuation of about 100 employees at the site for an hour – the fire started at about 3:10 p.m. when a capacitor housed in an electrical room in the north end of the production plant caught fire, producing smoke, and setting off a fire alarm – power to the entire facility had been interrupted a couple minutes before the alarm sounded – cost of the damaged capacitor is estimated at $50,000 to $100,000)

WP Arc Furnace Worker Injured in Accident (an accident at the plant sent a worker to the hospital and resulted in a production outage Friday – several sources from the plant indicated an oxygen bottle fell into the molten steel in the furnace and exploded, causing a major water leak – when water also got into the molten steel, another explosion occurred and molten metal was spilled onto the floor of the furnace shop – a small fire was reported on the third floor of the building – workers indicated the furnace had only begun to be charged for a full heat of steel when the incident occurred, meaning the furnace was not filled with molten steel)

Big fire burns near Houston Ship Channel (a fire burned out of control sending thick black smoke into the air – at least one worker was injured and rushed to hospital – the victim had burns from his waist to his toes – the flames were coming from a tanker truck parked near several large storage tanks – they spread to at least one of the tanks, but firefighters brought the blaze under control before it spread further)

UPDATE Refinery fire in Jan. blamed on corroded pipe (officials reported that the January fire at the company’s refinery stemmed from the rupture of a corroded pipe – the incident was one of a string of refinery mishaps across the country that cut gasoline production and contributed to price increases at the pump this year – the ruptured pipe was part of a system used to clean out the refinery’s machinery prior to maintenance – the cleaning system was designed to be attached to the machinery temporarily but the cleaning system was left in place for more than 20 years, for reasons the company hasn’t been able to determine – the cleaning system also was lacking valve parts that ensure fluid moving through the pipes only moves in one direction, a factor the company said contributed to the rupture)

Platteville fire started by welding sparks (a fire that destroyed about half of a fence manufacturing company building was the result of sparks that lit several cardboard boxes and insulation pieces on fire – the fire started in one of the paint booth rooms in the south side of the building – employees were installing steel shelving using welding tools and some of the sparks spread to nearby cardboard boxes and insulation – half of the 48,000 square foot building was damaged – no one was injured in the fire)

Sparks from welding equipment start fire (sparks from welding equipment started a fire – the fire was caused by workers who were installing a wrought-iron fence at a home – the workers tried extinguishing the fire with a garden hose and shovels, but the wind was pushing it too fast up the steep slope for them to be able to stop the spread)

1 hospitalized following fire at farm supply business (a fire started by maintenance work sent one worker to the hospital after he inhaled granular sulfur – workers were conducting routine maintenance, including welding operations, to a fertilizer bin at the company and a small fire erupted, which the workers thought they had extinguished – the fire apparently smoldered overnight, however, and re-ignited at around 9:18 a.m. – granular sulfur then began to burn which prompted a re-sponse from several area fire departments – several workers at-tempted to extinguish the fire prior to the Fire Departments’ arrival and were subsequently treated at the scene for inhalation hazards, with one worker transported to an area hospital)

Fire damages upstate NY steel plant (fire damaged a steel fabricating plant idling about 100 workers at least temporarily – sparks from a welding machine or cutting torch used to repair heavy equipment at the Steel plant apparently touched off the fire that erupted through the steel-frame building’s roof and walls at about 9 o’clock – the repair crew left the plant about a half-hour earlier, apparently unaware of the fire in the room where they had been working – two firefighters were treated for minor injuries)

BREAKING NEWS – Gas plant on fire (at about 7:26 p.m. sheriff’s deputies have again opened the roads near a gas plant that had caught on fire earlier in the afternoon – a one-mile evacuation of nearby residents had been in place pending the fire being extinguished – earlier reports from authorities indicated the plant was fully involved, with several area fire departments notified)

Lewisburg plant fire under control, no serious injuries reported (a fire at an auto supplier plant is out after burning for about two hours – a hazardous materials team is on the scene cleaning up some oil that spilled during the blaze – no details yet)

Fire out at Sappi plant (no one was injured by a fire that broke out – a failed bearing in an outdoor conveyor system probably sparked the fire, which did no damage – the fire took two hours to extinguish, according to firefighters)

Workers flee as fire crews tackle power plant blaze (two hundred workers had to be evacuated during a major fire at the power station – the blaze produced thick clouds of black smoke which could be seen from several miles away – workers were told to leave the plant while a team of 50 firefighters worked to bring the fire under control – the blaze broke out in five separate places on the bitumen roof of the plant room, approximately 150ft off the ground)

Fourth fire hits Solon plant (for the fourth time since February, firefighters were called to the manufacturing plant where a company is using cutting torches to salvage steel – it took an hour to knock down the fire, which began in a small room off the old lunch room – a worker said he saw no smoke when he left work at 4 p.m. – firefighters were dispatched at 5:07, and were at the scene for three hours – the fire started about 20 to 30 feet from where the crew had been working)

Construction worker injured in fire (a construction worker was injured when the apartment building he was working in caught fire – the man was transported to a Medical Center after being exposed to smoke – the man was transported with serious injuries shortly after the fire began about 10:20 a.m. – it is unknown how the fire started at the apartments – firefighters believe the blaze started in a third-floor unit and spread to the attic – the apartments were currently being renovated and were about 95 percent complete – the fire damaged only the attic area above two third-floor units of the apartment building)

Recent chemical plant accidents (an AP listing of this years chemical accidents)

Horrid Deaths in Steel Spill, Thirty-two workers in Liaoning, China, were burned to death last week when a steel ladle containing approximately 25 metric tonnes (30 tons) dropped from its carrying cradle, spilling its molten load onto a crowded shop floor during a shift change. The deaths brought into sharp focus the gap between China’s current safety culture and the country’s attempts to change. In 2005, 127,000 workers died in industrial incidents in China. Read the story at boston.com

1 killed, 5 hurt in steel plant accident (six workers were burned when flames burst from a pipe containing coke gas while they were attempting to remove it – one of the six, 36, died later in hospital – the workers from a subcontractor were sent to a nearby hospital – the others suffered minor burns on their face and chest – the workers were replacing a pipe 1.4 meters in diameter that carries coke gas generated from baking coal to another facility within the plant – they were putting a steel plate on a pipe seam to seal off the coke gas when the accident occurred – police are investigating whether proper safety procedures were followed)

Chip resistor substrate supplier Leatec reports fire at plant (the only Taiwan-based substrate supplier for chip resistor manufacturers has reported a fire at its plant – the company said the fire was put out in an hour and one employee was injured in the accident – production at the plant has stopped and the extent of damage is still being evaluated)

Electrical Fire Shuts Nuclear Plant North of NY City (a nuclear power reactor will face tighter inspections after an electrical fault and fire in a transformer forced an automatic shutdown – the fire, which was extinguished in 15 minutes, was outside the nuclear area of the reactor, and there was no release of radiation – no injuries were reported)

GAF Burns Again (it`s the second fire in just two days at the plant – flames started shooting out of a 32-thousand gallon asphalt holding tank just before 11:30 a.m.. – this is the same tank that caught fire on Tuesday – crews were removing products to shut down the plant when the first fire erupted May 12, 2007 parking Wednesday’s blaze – firefighters had the fire under control within 20 minutes)

Fire breaks out at a new Target store under construction in Temple. (fire could have been caused by smoldering welding embers – firefighters believe some slag, some hot metal fragments, in close proximity to some wood sheathing, plywood – that was just a slow smoldering fire – no one was injured)

Store fire put out in NE China city, causing serious economic losses (a fire that broke out in a car fitting store has been put out but caused “very serious losses” to local businessmen – six injured from the fire, which also killed a man in his fifties, were all out of danger, according to the doctors with the No. 1 hospital – the cause of the fire was not clear so far, but witnesses said a group of workers were upgrading the building’s fire control facilities and sparks caused by electric welding led to the fire)

Fire Breaks Out At UCSD Lab (a non-injury fire broke out in a laboratory at a School of Medicine building – the blaze, reported at 8:11 a.m. on the fourth floor was extinguished by an overhead sprinkler system – no injuries were reported)

Chevron contains fire at El Segundo refinery (refinery had a fire – fire was contained to a coker furnace and was put out – the cause of the blaze was under investigation)

Tema ECG panel explodes; two workers sustain injuries (two workers sustained serious burns on their bodies while working on a faulty electrical cable which caught fire at the main station where the company receives its source of power supply – the explosion destroyed part of the panel and the 33 kilovolts circuit breaker beyond repairs, including some louver blades – the cause of the explosion was immediately not known but top officials say it is being investigated)

Oil pipe bursts near airport; no one hurt (several hundred gallons of hot oil and water sprayed across a plant floor and a boom shook the building when a pipe burst at a business – no one was injured – firefighters said two workers were nearby, but fortunately they were not hit by a spray of water and hydrocarbon oil heated to 500 degrees – firefighters and the haz-mat team quickly contained the spill, using booms and absorbent pads and granules, and no oil left the building – plant makes industrial lubricants and had been manufacturing grease when the pipe burst)

UPDATE Worker burned after fire rips through Manitoba pork production plant (a worker was burned on his hands, arms and face by a fire that gutted a pork production plant – the two-year employee suffered first- and second-degree burns after he attempted to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher – a fire started in the shop and pretty much gutted the building – the fire may have been started by a spark from some welding the worker was doing on a manure pump – there were also diesel fuel tanks connected to machines inside the structure – the fire caused roughly $750,000 damage)

Fire rips through electrical plant in Toronto (a four-alarm fire at an electrical plant broke with some 20 employees inside but no one was hurt – employees were inside the building when a wall caught fire – they all managed to escape unharmed – firefighters credit sprinklers inside the building for helping to keep the stubborn blaze from doing too much damage – initial reports say the fire may have been triggered by overnight maintenance work being done on one of the plant’s production lines)

Fire breaks out at Crittenden Drive plant (no one was injured in a fire – the fire, called in at 12:05 a.m. was believed to involve mineral spirits burning on the outside of a tank in the insulation area – no evacuation was required – firefighters used a powder extinguisher before hitting the flames with water lines – there was no word yet on the cause of the fire at the company)

Lightning Sparks Refinery Tank Fire (lightning was blamed for sparking a fire at a water tank at a refinery – the refinery’s internal fire department fought the blaze at the top of the tank, which was filled with water that also had some hydrocarbons in it – the immediate area around the plant was evacuation as a precaution – there were no injuries)

Power outage causes small fire at Whiting refinery (a power failure at a Refinery put the refinery in shut down mode causing the release of naphtha, a cloud and a small fire – the 7:30 a.m. incident apparently began when a crane hit a power line at the north end of the plant and shut down power to the plant – the build-up caused a what the company believes is a small quantity of naphtha, a derivative of oil used in lighters, to be released into the air and caused a small fire high up on flange stack – the fire was extinguished by refinery personnel within 30 minutes – the naphtha formed a small cloud that drifted over the area and left a residue on people, vehicles and other property – the incident remains under investigation, but the company doesn’t beleive the substance released is dangerous)

Welder suffers burns (a welder suffered second- and third-degree burns at a construction site – the welder also suffered injuries to his respiratory system – according to fire officials, the welder, a 24-year-old man, was fueling up a welding machine when there was a flash, igniting the fire that injured him – the welding machine was being used above where the fueling was taking place – the welder suffered burns to his hands, arms, chest, abdominal and legs)

Oil field worker found dead in trailer’s debris (one man, 53, was killed and at least four people injured as storms that brought winds up to 70 mph, hail and rain spawned several tornadoes – a man who was thrown from a trailer when it rolled from high winds in an oil field was found dead in a nearby ditch – he was found tangled in the trailer’s debris about 15 feet from where the tornado hit – burned debris indicates there may have been an explosion)

UPDATE Gas tank explosion kills 1 (a man working for an industrial coatings company was killed and three others were injured when a gasoline tank exploded – a crew reportedly was recoating the inside of one of the empty 15,000-gallon tanks when flames shot out through an access port toward a truck and people standing nearby – it wasn’t clear Wednesday if someone was inside the tank as the epoxy layer was being applied – the blast jolted the tank off its base, leaving it propped against another tank)

Three burned in accident at MidAmerican Energy (three men were burned in an accident at the power plant – three contractors came into contact with calcium hydroxide – it was still unclear exactly how the men were exposed to the chemical, but he said there was no explosion – one man, 44, suffered serious burns to the back, arms, hands and neck area and was flown to a Medical Center – the other two were less seriously injured – a 50-year-old man sustained burns to his neck and arms and was taken by ambulance – a 31-year-old man received burns on his ankles)

Chevron contains fire at El Segundo refinery (refinery had a fire – fire was contained to a coker furnace and was put out – the cause of the blaze was under investigation)

UPDATE Gas tank explosion kills 1 (a man working for an industriaMay 12, 2007when a gasoline tank exploded – a crew reportedly was recoating the inside of one of the empty 15,000-gallon tanksMay 12, 2007May 12, 2007May 12, 2007May 12, 2007ed against another tank)

Worker burned in Calumet fire (a worker is in good condition after suffering second-degree burns in an explosion at the refinery – the explosion occurred at about 5 p.m. when the employee noticed that natural gas being used to heat one of the refinery’s holding units did not show a flame – the employee smelled some of the product, tried to shut off the pipeline, and that’s when the explosion occurred – fire officials said they do not know what caused the explosion – workers were evacuated from the plant – the injured worker had second-degree burns on 18 percent of his back and also had bumps, bruises and hearing loss)

Pork plant burns (fire ripped through a business injuring one worker and gutting the structure – an employee of two years said he suffered first- and second-degree burns to both hands and arms, as well as his face, after he attempted to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher – a spark may have come from some welding work he was doing on a manure pump inside the 6,000-sq.-ft. building just before he noticed the flames – the fire may have been strengthened by diesel fuel tanks connected to machines inside the structure – the fire caused roughly $750,000 damage but added insurance adjusters have yet to visit the site)

Torch Ignites Container Fire at State Port (a fire that started in the container of a ship at the state port was caused by a torch – crews were trying to unstack a damaged container and used a torch, which set the inside of the container on fire – the container had been damaged during a storm – it took firefighters more than six hours to extinguish the flames – no one was hurt)

Chemical Plant Fire in Humboldt, TN (a warehouse caught fire – lightning struck the warehouse around 6:00 a.m., sparking the fire – as of 9:15 a.m., the fire was still burning – hundreds of people in nearby homes and businesses have been evacuated – no one was inside the building and no injuries have been reported – warehouse was used to store seeds, fertilizer and agricultural chemicals for sale to farms in the local area)

Fire engulfs sulfur plant (while the exact cause of the fire was not immediately known, Fire Chief said he suspects something metal created a spark, which in turn caused dust associated with sulfur being stored at the plant to explode – flames burst through the side of a large building used to mix and grind the sulfur and quickly spread to the shingle roofs of an adjacent storage building and office)

Staff evacuated from Sligo plant (authorities were forced to evacuate 400 staff from a factory after fears of a chemical spill emerged – three units of the fire brigade were called to the Plant – chemicals stored outside the plant were decontaminated and the fire brigade are now in the process of decontaminating a second set of chemicals – the area has been sealed off and it is not considered that it is of any danger to the public – there were no casualties)

Power plant explosion (a boiler ruptured at a power plant – part of a door on one of the boilers at the plant blew out 0- the release of steam sent the door flying outward – it hit a power plant operator, causing serious injuries)

Worker killed in Othello oil tank explosion (one person was reported dead and three injured in an oil tank explosion – the workers were working on a tank about 1:15 p.m. – they were sandblasting the tank and applying an epoxy when it exploded into flames – the three injured workers were being treated at area hospitals)

Pontotoc County Man Critically Injured in Tank Explosion (a man was critically injured after an explosion at a manufacturing plant – the man was using a welding torch to open a drum filled with flammable liquids – the 30-year-old man was knocked to the ground when the 55-gallon drum exploded – the man had been cutting several tanks filled with soap earlier in the day, and thought this was also one of them – the barrel was clearly marked flammable, and when he cut into it with a torch…the mixture of carbon, sulphur dioxide and xylene packed a powerful punch – the lid came off, striking him in the head and then hit the ceiling)

Leak prompts evacuation: Liquid oxygen cloud leads to potentially … (Liquid oxygen spewed from a 1,500-gallon tank prompting an explosion hazard and an evacuation of a nearby hotel and business – tank leaking liquid oxygen from a frozen valve – it took the tank more than two hours to empty, creating a low gas cloud near the area – the 1,500-gallon tank was three-quarters full and emergency crews were using water to disperse the vapors and prevent a chemical reaction)

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