Industrial Fires & Explosions page 5

Industrial Fires & Explosions Page #5

This page was last updated on  05/06/2010

 

GALATIA MINE WORKER SERIOUSLY INJURED 
BY JIM MUIR THE SOUTHERN [Fri Apr 04 2003] 
GALATIA — A worker at American Coal Co.’s Galatia Mine was seriously injured Friday when he was struck by a ram-car. The miner, whose name was not released, was working in an underground section when the accident occurred at 5:30 a.m. The injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. He was treated by emergency medical technicians and then flown to an Evansville, Ind., hospital. The accident came only hours after the company issued layoff notices to 800 employees at the mine. Company officials did not disclose details of the accident, which is being investigated. 

Three Killed, Five Injured in Fireworks Blast in S. China
Three people were killed and five others injured in a fireworks plant explosion in Zhanjiang City of the Guangdong Province, south China, Friday. The explosion happened at 11:09 a.m. at a six-room house of theBaoman Firecracker Plant in the city’s Xiashan District. According to the local police, the fireworks plant was jointly-owned by five people. The eight victims were four workers and fourbosses, including a female boss. A female worker at the plant said that when she came back from fetching her baby, she saw that shattered tiles and windows, a huge hole in front of the house, and a boss and his wife lying injured on the ground. Local fire fighters attributed the explosion to violations of safety rules. The five injured have been hospitalized and further investigations are underway. 

UPDATE Two more held for factory blast 
The chairman and managing director of a Corinth pipe construction factory were arrested in Athens yesterday following Thursday’s fatal explosion that killed six workers. Corinth Pipeworks Chairman Athanassios Mitropoulos and his son Constantinos, the company’s managing director, were to be charged late yesterday in Corinth. The factory manager and another four officials were arrested on Thursday, shortly after the accident. Yesterday, Labor Ministry officials said the blast appeared to have been caused by an oxygen or an acetylene cylinder in the factory’s welding section. Stelios Xiarchos, head of the ministry’s Labor Inspectorate (SEPE), said past inspections of the plant had found workers without any specialized training to be operating dangerous machinery. But he added that SEPE had no authority to temporarily close down factories for such infringements. The six victims were buried yesterday in Corinth, where labor unions held a protest strike. Meanwhile, three employees injured in the blast were in stabl e condition in hospital.

Gujarat: Chemical plant gutted 
Vadodara, April. 5 (PTI): A chemical plant was gutted in a major fire that broke out at Nadesari Industrial Estate area on the outskirts of the city today. About 15 to 20 fire extinguishers battled the flames for a few hours and brought the fire under control, fire office sources said. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. 

12 dead in factory fire 
06apr03
AT least 12 people have been killed and several more are missing after a factory fire in northeastern China, the China News Service reported today. The fire, in a food factory near Qingdao, occurred overnight Friday-Saturday, the semi-official agency said. The cause of the fire is not known but investigators have already retrieved 12 bodies. Some 2,393 people died in fires in China in 2002, according to official figures, not including forest and field fires.

 

Blast kills three in Netherlands
Source: Xinhua News Agency – CEIS 2003-04-01
BRUSSELS, April 1 (Xinhua) — Three people were killed and two others wounded in a powerful explosion in a chemical plant in the Netherlands on Tuesday. The blast occurred at noon in a chemical plant in the town Geleen, some 200 kilometers south of Amsterdam. The plant produces melamine, a chemical component of plastics. Company sources said that the explosion occurred when repair was being done to a gas-powered boiler, Radio Netherlands reported. The cause to the explosion is still under investigation, the report added. Although the Netherlands has a substantial number of industrial manufacturers and chemical companies, fatal accidents are rare in the country. The worst industrial accident in recent years happened in May 2000 when a total of 22 people were killed by an explosion at a fireworks storage depot in the eastern town of Enschede. 

UPDATE Pipe factory blast kills six workers; Police arrest five officials 
A powerful explosion, apparently caused by gas cylinders, killed six workers at a pipe construction company yesterday and injured another three. The accident occurred at 10.40 a.m. at the Corinth Pipeworks, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) west of Corinth. The fire department was investigating the causes of the blast and Supreme Court prosecutor Evangelos Kroustallakis ordered an inquiry. Some workers said the blast occurred while three of those who were killed were replacing an oxygen cylinder. Others said that an acetylene cylinder exploded. The blast was so powerful that it blew off parts of the roof, spread debris over a radius of 200 meters and injured people 50 meters away. “We could not even identify three of the bodies, we could not understand which of our colleagues had been killed,” one worker said. “One of them kept burning for a long time. We used five fire extinguishers and they did nothing. The shock wave was very powerful. Thank God the roof blew off and allowed the blast to go upward, otherwise we would have had more victims.” Labor inspectors, who last checked the plant a month ago, had repeatedly found safety problems and fined the company. From 2000 to 2003 there were 18 minor accidents among the factory’s 200 workers. “This was not a crime of negligence, it was premeditated,” declared General Confederation of Greek Labor President Christos Polyzogopoulos. Police arrested factory manager Antonis Periyialotis, shift boss Costas Sarmas, electrical maintenance chief Panayiotis Louskos, production chief Costas Maniatis and security director Costas Papachristopoulos. They are to appear before a prosecutor today. The dead were listed as Pavlos Yiannou, 45, Sotiris Voriniotis, 56, Christos Kyrilis, 42, Costas Athanassiou, 40, Costas Spyridou, 32, and Evangelos Poulis, 42. Stavros Stavropoulos, 47, suffered leg injuries and two others had lighter injuries. None of them was a specially trained welder. The government expressed its grief and promised a full investigation. The Communist Party called it a “new crime” and accused the government of “turning greater productivity into the highest good.” 

UPDATED China Probe Blames Smokers in Mine Blast
Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) — Coal miners smoking cigarettes in a gas filled pit sparked a massive underground blast that killed 72 coal miners in northeastern China last month, the Communist Party’s People’s Daily said. Open cigarette packs were found on the bodies of two dead miners at the Mengnanzhuang mine, despite rules saying no items capable of sparking a fire are to be allowed underground, the paper said. “This shows that management over the Mengnanzhuang coal mine was extremely chaotic,” chief investigator Wang Shuhe was quoted saying. A short circuit had disabled the mine’s ventilation system prior to the blast, causing a dangerous buildup of coal gas, the paper said. Only four miners were rescued from the March 11 blast in the mine, located in Xiaoyi, a city in Shanxi province. The blast was the third accident in March to kill more than 10 miners in Shanxi, a major coal-producing region. China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with more than 5,000 deaths reported last year in fires, explosions and flooding. At least 263 miners are reported to have died in such incidents since the beginning of the year, although many deadly accidents are believed to go unreported. 

Greek Factory Explosion Leaves at least 6 Dead
VOA News 03 Apr 2003, 18:48 UTC
Greek authorities say an explosion at a pipe factory in Corinth, south of Athens, has left at least six people dead and 10 others injured. A company spokesman says the explosion occurred early Thursday. The factory manufactures pipes used in the delivery of water and natural gas. Local fire department officials are investigating the cause of the accident. Initial reports say the explosion may have been caused while workers were welding pipes. Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters. 

UDPATE Inco, Falco in court over worker deaths
By Denis St. Pierre/The Sudbury Star Thursday, April 03, 2003 – 11:00 
Local News – New court dates have been set for the prosecution of Inco Ltd. and Falconbridge Ltd. on charges related to separate, fatal accidents at each company’s Sudbury operations. Inco and Falconbridge representatives were in provincial court Wednesday to deal with the respective charges they face under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. Inco, which faces five charges under the act, had its case adjourned to April 23. Falconbridge, facing two charges under the act, will be back in court June 4. The two companies were charged last summer by the Ministry of Labour, in connection with accidents which occurred in 2001, within one day of each other. On July 27, 2001, Inco employee Gordon Heffern was critically injured in an explosion at the company’s Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery, while he was testing a valve on an oxygen line. Heffern, 46, died two days after the accident, in the burn unit of a hospital in Buffalo, N.Y. On July 28, 2001, Kevin Payette, working at Falconbridge’s Fraser Mine in Onaping, was pinned by the gate of an ore chute on the mine’s 3,600-foot level. Payette, 35, died in hospital the following night. Each of the charges laid against Inco and Falconbridge carries a maximum fine of $500,000. The charges filed against Inco in relation to Heffern’s death are based on Ministry of Labour allegations that the company: — “failed to provide information and/or instruction and/or supervision to a worker with respect to the operation and/or testing of valves on an oxygen system;” — “failed to acquaint a worker or a person in authority over a worker with the hazard of operating valves on its oxygen line;” — “failed to acquaint a worker or a person in authority over a worker with the hazard of operating valves on its oxygen line;” — “failed to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring its oxygen line conformed to good engineering practice and/or recognized guidelines for oxygen enriched systems.” The labour ministry’s charges against Falconbridge in connection with Payette’s death are based on allegations that the company: — failed to ensure that a “baffle gate” at the 3,600-foot level of Fraser Mine was fenced or guarded; — “failed to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker regarding the safe use of a blasting aid … in bringing down a ‘hang-up’ in an ore pass.” The province is obligated to hold coroner’s inquests in both mining-related fatalities. Dates for each inquest are not expected to be set until the respective Occupational Health and Safety Act charges are resolved in the courts.

Worker killed in Bayer plant explosion 
By Roy Wood Post staff reporter
A 45-year-old Cleves man died in an explosion early today at the Bayer Polymers plant in Addyston. Kevin Cook, who had worked there 7½ years, died after an explosion about 4 a.m. at a reactor in a part of the plant that makes plastics. “It’s a sad day in our plant,” plant director Ken Perica said. “We’re not sure of the reason (for the explosion). We are doing a full and thorough investigation.” The explosion affected “a very localized area,” he said. Other nearby employees were not injured, and a release of hazardous materials was contained to the area near the explosion. Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency officials said they received no notification of a chemical release. Such notification would have been mandatory within 30 minutes had chemicals been released outside the plant. Police said a fire resulting from the explosion was quickly brought under control. The plant has about 450 workers. About 50 to 60 were working at the time of the explosion. The Addyston plant, which makes plastic pellets used in plastics for automobiles, refrigerator liners and other household products, dates to 1889 when it was established as Addyston Pipe Works. Monsanto bought it in 1951 and, in 1985 Bayer bought Monsanto’s plastics business. 

150 workers rescued from an inferno at Malaysian factory in Vietnam
HANOI April 2 – More than 150 workers were rescued from a huge fire that gutted a Malaysian-owned factory in southern Vietnam, police said on Wednesday. It took nearly 10 hours for firefighters to stop the blaze, which burnt down the workshop and warehouse of Interfood, a candy and beverage company in Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province, a local police spokesman said. The fire began early Tuesday and is thought to have been caused by an electrical problem, the spokesman said. State media have estimated damages at more than US$7.5 million, though police could not confirm that figure. In January, 11 people were killed and 35 injured when a gas container and a dryer exploded at a Taiwanese bamboo and rattan factory in Tay Ninh province. – AFP

Fire destroys 10 garbage trucks in Walla Walla fleet 
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2003 By Jeff St. John Herald staff writer
Walla Walla’s fleet of garbage trucks was destroyed Tuesday in an early morning fire, with damage estimates reaching as high as $3 million. Fire gutted a central section of the city’s public services building, burning 10 garbage trucks worth an estimated $1.8 million to $2.2 million, said City Manager Duane Cole. The cause of the blaze still was unknown Tuesday afternoon. “Fortunately, nobody was hurt or injured,” Cole said. “Unfortunately, our trucks were in the building.” Insurance is expected to cover the cost of about six of the newest trucks. Others were probably too old to be valued above the city’s deductible. The brick building was insured separately for $1.6 million but was not a total loss. Firefighters spent more than four hours dousing the flames reported by passers-by shortly after midnight, said Walla Walla Fire Chief Terry Thomas. While the fire burned, firefighters managed to enter other parts of the building at 55 Moore St. and drove about 30 other city vehicles worth millions of dollars out of harm’s way, he said. Fire crews from the city and Walla Walla Fire District 4 responded to the fire. By afternoon city workers used heavy equipment and tow trucks to haul the charred hulks from the gutted section of the building. Other workers armed with hoses and shovels looked for clues to how the fire started, while machinery supported the sagging metal roof from tumbling in on top of them. City officials scrambled Tuesday to provide garbage service to about 9,200 homes, as well as commercial customers, said Public Works Director Hal Thomas. The city leased garbage trucks owned by DSI, a Walla Walla Valley private garbage hauler, to fill in for the destroyed trucks. “We’ve gone out to our customers today and said, ‘We’re going to pick you up, but it may take longer before we get to you,’ ” Thomas said. “We anticipate we’ll be back on schedule by the end of the day.” Managing garbage hauling over the long term could be trickier. Leasing about six trucks to provide service could cost $12,000 to $30,000 a month, he said, or approximately $100,000 to $300,000 over the next nine months. The city’s 2003 sanitation budget has about $170,000 in reserves to cover unforeseen expenses like these, but Thomas said the city will have to “keep our pencils as sharp as possible” to stay within budget without raising garbage rates. “Our goal is to not have this impact customers out there,” he said. The trick will be balancing the leasing costs with the cost of buying new trucks, said city officials. The destroyed garbage trucks ranged in value from $186,000 for a 2002 model to old trucks worth less than $25,000 after depreciation, Cole said. He said the city would evaluate how best to replace the trucks after talking with its insurance company, the Washington Cities Insurance Authority.

UPDATE Investigators seek cause of explosion
Story by By Mike Peters 
Investigators hope three men injured Monday in an oil field accident near Fort Lupton can help them determine the cause of the fatal explosion. The explosion killed Raul Barron, 44, of Longmont, and injured Armando Barron, Mike Rostie and Fernando Gallardo. The men work for Bravo Roustabout Services of Fort Lupton, but all live in the Longmont area, according to a Weld County sheriff’s spokesman. Their ages were not available. The accident occurred about 2:45 p.m. Monday at the Wattenberg Saltwater Disposal Facility, five miles northwest of Fort Lupton. The explosion blew the 50-foot tank into the air and over a fence. A saltwater plant purifies wastes from oil and gas wells, and the waste can be highly flammable and explosive. Investigators likely won’t know the cause of the explosion for several days, said Herb Gibson of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They are concentrating first on finding the ignition source and the material involved. They also want to talk to people working at the site and any other witnesses. Investigators will interview the three injured men as soon as they have recovered enough to talk, Gibson said. Armando Barron and Rostie were admitted to Denver Health Medical Center after the accident. Rostie remained in critical condition; Armando Barron was discharged Tuesday. The third man, Gallardo, was in serious condition at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver. Roustabout Services was apparently hired to make some modifications at the plant site, and the explosion occurred while employees were working there. OSHA investigators said they don’t know exactly what the men were doing that may have triggered an explosion. 

Fire Disrupts Titan Wheel 
Melissa Shriver
Heavy black smoke could be seen pouring from Quincy’s north sound during the noon hour Tuesday. The source was a fire at the Titan Wheel Plant. Firefighters from both the Quincy and Tri-Township departments were called to Titan Wheel around 12:30 p.m. Flames were shooting through the roof when they arrived, burning rubber on the roof caused the thick black smoke. Fire officials said the blaze started in a bake oven used in the paint drying process, but they’re still investigating the cause. “We’re in the process of talking with Titan officials to find out just exactly how this oven was constructed and we’re going to go back in and re-piece it and see if we can find a cause,” said Chief Gerald Gengenbacher of the Tri-Township Fire Department said, No one was hurt and all workers were evacuated safely when the fire alarm sounded. Some employees working in that area of the plant were sent home even after the fire was out, but a Titan spokesperson said the second and third shifts should be back on schedule.

 

Fire destroys one local business, damages another
By Abby Morris Star Staff
A fire destroyed one local business and caused moderate damage to another Monday afternoon according to emergency workers. No one was injured in the blaze. The fire claimed Bumper to Bumper, an automotive repair and body shop located at 217 Lover’s Lane. The business was owned by Blake Baldwin, who was inside when the fire began. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials suspect the blaze may have begun when fumes from a leak in a gas tank of a vehicle which was being worked on ignited. “The fellow said the only thing he knew was that he pulled a truck in to work on a gas tank that had a leak in it and that may have caused it,” said Dale Smalling, Watauga Volunteer Fire Department chief. “He also had a kerosene heater in there that worked on a thermostat. He seems to think that the fumes from the gas tank may have been ignited by the kerosene heater.” Whatever caused the fire to ignite also caused an explosion, according to Smalling. “It had to be an explosion of some kind,” he said. “One whole wall of the building was blown out.” According to Baldwin, he was inside the office portion of the building eating his lunch when he heard an explosion and came out to find his business on fire. Baldwin attempted to combat the blaze himself, but it soon grew to be too much for him to fight on his own. In addition to the gas tanks of the two vehicles which were parked inside the garage portion of the building, other potential explosion hazards faced emergency workers who were responding to the scene. According to Smalling, inside the building were tanks containing acetylene and oxygen, both of which are highly flammable and can explode. “It could have been really bad with those tanks in there, but we were lucky,” Smalling said. As firefighters from area volunteer fire departments were responding to the scene along with other emergency personnel, small explosions could be heard inside the building. One emergency worker was overheard describing the incident as “popping like the Fourth of July.” When emergency workers arrived at the scene, the building containing Bumper to Bumper was fully engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to the building next door, D & S Automotive, which sustained some damage in the blaze. As workers rushed to get the blaze under control, which eventually claimed the entire building containing Bumper to Bumper along with its contents, other workers rushed to keep the damage to the neighboring building to a minimum. No one was in the building housing D & S Automotive and emergency workers had to force their way into the building in order to combat the fire which had attacked the wooden gables of the building. Smalling described the damage done to the D & S Automotive building as “moderate.” 

UPDATE Plant managers guilty in fatal blast 
Tuesday, April 1, 2003 By JENNIFER V. HUGHES STAFF WRITER 
Five years after a deadly explosion at a Paterson recycling plant, two company managers admitted Monday that they failed to monitor materials that wound up improperly at the facility and led to the blast. In exchange for their pleas to aggravated assault and environmental offenses, the managers will be sentenced to probation in June, and the company will be fined $250,000. Paper mixed with thousands of aerosol cans were loaded into a baling machine at Joseph Damato Paperstock on Dec. 1, 1997, even though the company was neither licensed nor capable of handling the cans, which are hazardous materials. Vapors leaking from the cans were ignited by a spark from a forklift, and the ensuing explosion killed one worker and badly burned another. In April 2002, a civil jury ordered the company to pay $3.5 million to the injured worker and the family of the deceased employee, a judgment the company is challenging. Less than a week after the verdict, the managers and the company were indicted on manslaughter and other charges, but the plea bargain allowed them to admit to the lesser crimes. “They realize mistakes were made,” said defense lawyer Joseph Afflitto Sr., who represented Joseph Phil Damato, the son of the company president. “This was a freak thing with a tragic ending.” Paul S. Chiaramonte, Passaic County senior assistant prosecutor, said the deal was a good one because it resolved the old, complicated case, held the managers responsible, and levied a hefty fine. “Did they intend to cause injuries? No, but the fact remains that someone died and someone was terribly maimed,” he said after the state Superior Court hearing in Paterson. “But it would have been a difficult case.” Had the managers been convicted of manslaughter, they faced up to 30 years in prison. The most serious environmental charge carries a maximum five-year term. But Chiaramonte said it would have been hard to prove the managers purposefully and knowingly accepted and processed the aerosol cans – a factor that would have been necessary to sustain the more serious charges. A plant supervisor who testified in the civil trial that the managers knew what they were doing has since died, Chiaramonte said. One manager said he did not know the cans had made it to the recycling plant, and the company owner said he never knew they were on his property. Worker Darisz Wisniewski, 37, of Garfield was killed as he ran the baling machine that crushed the thousands of aerosol cans. Victor Lopez, 46, of Paterson unwittingly sparked the blaze when he started a forklift. He suffered burns on his arms, legs, and face, and spent three weeks in a coma. Joseph Phil Damato admitted in court that he had met with an employee from a now-defunct Clifton company who wanted to get rid of the aerosol cans. He told the employee he could not recycle the goods, but might be able to resell them. He said Damato Paperstock delivered a Dumpster to the company, and brought it back to the recycling plant without checking the contents. “I should have made arrangements to inspect this material,” said Damato, 43, of Ramsey, who admitted to the environmental offense of transporting hazardous waste and doing so without a manifest. Joseph Frank Damato of Wayne, the nephew of the company president, admitted he was supposed to check the contents of materials before they were placed into machines, but he did not do so on that day. Damato, 55, pleaded guilty to violating state air pollution laws. Company President Phil Damato pleaded guilty on behalf of the corporation to generating and transporting hazardous waste to a facility not licensed to handle such materials. The charge was downgraded from an indictable offense to a disorderly persons charge. If the company had pleaded guilty to an indictable charge, it would have almost certainly lost its licenses, the prosecutor said. “We didn’t want to put them out of business, make all those people lose jobs,” Chiaramonte said after the court hearing. The company’s lawyer, James V. Segreto, noted after the hearing that his client and the others admitted only to reckless conduct. Charges against a subsidiary company were dismissed. “It’s been a long time and we’re pleased it’s over,” he said. “It’s been the cause of enormous trauma to everyone involved. The company and the individual managers are still fighting the $3.5 million civil judgment. The Clifton company that sent the aerosol cans to the recycling plant paid $875,000 to settle the case prior to trial. The lawyer who represented Damato Paperstock at the civil trial could not be reached for comment. Although the criminal charges had not been filed at the time of the civil trial, the managers refused to testify, pleading the Fifth Amendment to protect themselves from self-incrimination.

 

Fire hits Nevada Pallet Co.
By Steve Timko and Emily Ritter RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL 4/1/2003 02:22 am 
The biggest Reno fire in 18 months roared through stacks of wooden pallets Monday, damaging one building, knocking out power in others and tying up traffic around Kuenzli Street. No one was killed or injured in the afternoon blaze. Reno fire officials did not immediately know the cause of the fire at Nevada Pallet Co. at Manuel and Kuenzli streets northeast of Washoe Medical Center. Only Manuel Street is expected to remain closed today. The blaze, reported at 2:37 p.m., mostly was out by 3:45 p.m. There were two fires in pallets at the same yard in April 2000. Investigators determined at least one of them was arson. The three-alarm fire was the largest since the blaze that destroyed the Wingfield Springs mansion and an adjoining house in October 2001, Operations Division Chief Roy Slate said. Slate couldn’t say when the fire would be extinguished. Although it doesn’t create the toxic problems of a tire fire, a pallet fire can be as difficult to put out, Slate said. “By the nature of a pallet fire, we’re going to be here for a long time, maybe days,” Slate said. Fire inspectors today will try to determine the cause of the fire, city of Reno spokesman Steve Frady said. He did not know the fire inspection history of the business. Forty firefighters, seven fire engines and three ladder trucks responded to the blaze, which appeared to start on the Manuel Street side, Frady said. Pushed by afternoon winds, the fire sent flames 30 feet high and filled the area with smoke. Traffic was snarled near the medical center and on Sutro Street. Ladder trucks shot a heavy stream of water from as high as 40 feet while firefighters used smaller, hand-held hoses to pour in water from the sides. At one point embers from the fire drifted across Kuenzli Street and started a small fire in a firewood yard that quickly was extinguished. The pallet fire ignited the roof of a building next door and burned inside the building, Frady said, but that fire damage was not extensive. Marvin Turner, owner of the A+ Machine Shop next to the pallet yard on Manuel Street, said he was worried initially about his business, but then the wind shifted and his fears were eased. “We’ve had lots of concerned customers calling, volunteering to help move stuff,” Turner said. Also on Manuel Street, the power went out at the Legend Inc. mining supply store. Christine Drabczyk, a warehouse worker at the mining supply store, heard explosions after the fire started. “It was quite a surprise to look up and see a fire” out the shipping door, Drabczyk said. “We just took off running to call the fire department.” Slate said he did not know what caused the loud pops or explosions. Q&D Construction, through the Contractors Auxiliary that works with local public safety, provided a front end loader and excavator that Frady said was pushing around the pallets and stacking them in a corner, allowing crews to put out pockets of fire. 

1 dead, 3 hurt in explosion at waste station 
By Coleman Cornelius Denver Post Northern Colorado Bureau Tuesday, April 01, 2003
FORT LUPTON – One man died and three were seriously injured in an explosion at an oil and gas waste station in rural Fort Lupton on Monday afternoon, authorities said. The identities of the four were not released Monday. Investigators were trying to determine what caused the explosion near Weld County roads 18 and 25 northwest of Fort Lupton, said Phil Tiffany, spokesman for Fort Lupton Fire Protection District. The explosion occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. as a crew was working at the waste station that filters water and impurities from oil and gas generated in the area, Tiffany said. There was no fire as a result of the explosion. The station includes seven tanks and is owned by Kerr-McGee Corp., an Oklahoma City-based company involved in oil and gas exploration and production. It was not clear who employed the crew at the site or what the workers were doing, Tiffany said. Two of those injured were being treated at Denver Health Medical Center; a third was at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver. It was the second explosion in Weld County in about a week. On March 23, an underground natural-gas pipeline owned by Colorado Interstate Gas exploded near Eaton, causing an inferno viewed nearly 100 miles away. There were no injuries in that incident. 

Stop press! Fire prompts Newspaper House exit
April 01 2003 at 04:55PM
Staff were evacuated from Newspaper House in Cape Town on Tuesday after a small electrical fire started in the printing press of the Cape Argus newspaper. The paper’s editor Ivan Fynn said the fire, which started in a corner of the printing plant at about 10.30am, was brought under control three hours later by the Cape Town fire brigade. Fynn said advertisements were broadcast on local radio stations notifying the public that the paper would be on the streets later than usual on Tuesday. “We are hoping the paper will be on sale from 3pm onwards,” Fynn said. He said the paper’s classified department would remain open until 5pm to take calls. The cause of the fire was being investigated by the manager of the building. No one was injured. – Sapa 

Fire destroys shoe factory
A shoe factory in Sydney’s south has been destroyed by a fire early this morning. The fire brigade says the factory on the Princes Highway at Arncliffe was well alight when the alarm was raised about two o’clock. An auto repair shop next to the factory had minor damage. A nearby service station was evacuated as a precaution and the highway was closed for several hours. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

 

Coal mine explosion in leaves 16 dead in China 
Beijing, Mar 31: Sixteen miners were killed and ten others missing when a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northeast China’s Liaoning province, an official report said today. The accident took place yesterday in Majiazi coal mine in Fushun City. Forty-six miners were working in the mine when the explosion occurred, reported the state-owned news agency. Sixteen workers died instantly, 20 managed to escape while the other 10 persons remained missing. Provincial and local officials have rushed to the site for rescue. The cause of the accident is being investigated, the report said. This is the second major coal mine accident within the last ten days. Seventy-two miners were confirmed dead in the gas explosion in a coal mine in Luliang in north China’s Shanxi province on March 22. Coal mine accidents in China claim thousands of lives every year and authorities blame most of the accidents to lax safety standards in remote and private-run mines in the vast nation. Bureau Report 

Arson probe after factory fire 
Mar 31 2003
An investigation is underway into the cause of a fire which destroyed more than 1,000 tonnes of paper at a Birmingham recycling plant. More than 70 firefighters were mobilised to tackle the blaze at Kappa SSK, Heartlands Parkway, Saltley, after the alarm was raised. West Midlands Fire Service is looking into claims that group of children were seen near the mounds of paper shortly before the blaze broke out. Crews were scrambled to the plant shortly after noon yesterday and were still damping down today. Assistant Divisional Officer Bob Deeks said: “It was an extremely severe fire and dangerous because we were tackling high bales of paper which might collapse from underneath at any moment.” 

Fire Breaks Out At Steel Dynamics Plant
(WANE TV, Fort Wayne, March 29, 2002) Fire investigators are trying to figure out what sparked a huge blaze at the Steel Dynamics Plant in Butler. The fire broke out shortly after six o’clock Saturday evening. It took crews from 16 fire departments more than five hours to bring the fire under control. The fire was in one of the plants tallest buildings which forced firefighters to climb several flights of stairs to attack the flames. Damage is estimated between 100 to 200-thousand dollars.

 

Fire Evacuates Bucks County Plant
(Bensalem-AP) – March 29, 2003 — Officials say a fire at broke out at a Bucks County manufacturing plant yesterday and 50 employees had to be evacuated. Firefighters say sprinklers kept the fire from spreading beyond a paint-drying room at Retail Planning and Constructions Incorporated in Bensalem. Employees reported the fire around 3:30 p-m and the blaze was brought under control less than an hour later. The business manufactures display cases and shelves for retail stores. Officials say the fire started in a room where materials painted with powder coatings are brought to dry. The fire marshal is still trying to determine what caused the fire.

 

Phelps Dodge fire still under investigation
Firefighters are still looking into the cause of Thursday’s fire at the Phelps Dodge Copper Refinery in central El Paso. Despite high winds, the fire was contained in about 30 minutes. Fifteen fire trucks and forty-five fire personnel were called out just after two yesterday afternoon. El Paso Fire Chief Ray Apodaca says the winds kept the fire back. The fire reportedly started in the tank house. The building is the size of a football field and contains several vats of sulfuric acid used to refine copper. Investigators say the insulation in the roof caught fire. They say they are not sure why. Firefighters did have a problem however with water. Phelps Dodge reportedly has a private water system that limits the water pressure. ABC-7 was told Phelps Dodge turned off its power and that caused the pumps to lock up. It was necessary to take water from the fire trucks. It is unclear how much damage was caused in the fire. ABC-7 was told this is not the first time the building caught fire in such a way. A spokesman for Phelps Dodge did not return phone calls. 

UPDATE Propane Explosion And Fire At Able Energy Newton, NJ Facility
Business Editors
ROCKAWAY, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 28, 2003–On March 14, Able Energy experienced an explosion and fire at its Newton, New Jersey facility that resulted in the destruction of an office building on the site, as well as damage to 18 company vehicles and neighboring properties. Fortunately, due to the immediate response by employees at the site, a quick evacuation of all personnel occurred prior to the explosion, preventing any serious injuries. The preliminary results of the company’s investigation indicate that the explosion was an accident that occurred as a result of a combination of human error and mechanical malfunction. An employee of Able Propane L.L.C., was loading a delivery truck with propane and failed to follow company operating procedures. State, county and local officials are continuing their inspections of the site, the equipment, and interviewing employees involved. The company was able to resume operations the following morning from other company facilities, avoiding any interruption of service to customers. Based upon current loss information, the company believes that the amount of its insurance coverage is sufficient to cover its potential liabilities for losses and damage. Final clean-up of the site is underway and scheduled to conclude next week. Future plans for the Newton facility have not yet been determined. Able is a holding company for five operating subsidiaries that are engaged in the retail sales, distribution, and provision of services to customers using home heating oil, fuel oil, and propane gas. In addition, Able provides complete HVAC sales, installation, maintenance, and repair. Able’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market under the Symbol “ABLE” and on the Boston Stock Exchange under the Symbol “AEI”. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including those regarding Able Energy, Inc. and its subsidiaries’ expectations, intentions, strategies and beliefs pertaining to future performance. All statements contained herein are based upon information available to Able’s management as of the date hereof, and actual results may vary based upon future events, both within and without Able management’s control. 

AERT closes plant in Texas after fire causes significant damage
SPRINGDALE, ARK. (March 28) — A fire today caused major damage to Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Inc.´s factory in Junction, Texas, according to the company. The blaze was contained primarily in the raw material area, and no one was injured. An electrical transformer may have started the fire, which was fanned by 40-mph winds. AERT has closed the facility pending an evaluation by plant and safety engineers. AERT manufactures and markets wood composite building material made from recovered plastic and waste wood. 

Blaze damages shirt factory 
The Orange County Register 
SANTA ANA – A fire caused an estimated $80,000 in damages to a shirt factory in southwest Santa Ana on Thursday afternoon, damaging the building’s interior as owners were moving to a new location, officials said. The blaze started at 3:54 p.m. in the insulation above an office area of the structure in an industrial area in the 2200 block of South Huron Drive, Santa Ana Fire Department spokesman Anthony Espinosa said. The fire was extinguished within 17 minutes. No one was injured. Investigators ruled the fire accidental. 

Fire Damages Business
There’s no word what caused the fire at a factory in Luzerne County Thursday night. Some machinery started burning at Milazzo Industries near Pittston. The plant makes Quick Joe Ice Melt. Chemicals are used in the plant, so state experts were called in to check it out. No one was hurt during in this fire.

 

Three die in French blast 
At least three workers at an explosives factory in northern France have been killed in a blast which ripped through the plant early on Thursday. A fourth person was believed to be missing. Homes and shops around the Nitrochimie factory, near Billy-Berclau in the northern Pas-de-Calais region, were also damaged in the blast. Local officials ruled out an attack, stressing that the blast appeared to be the result of an industrial accident. The cause had been traced to a workshop making cartridges which contained flammable material, the officials said. The factory produces highly flammable chemicals including ammonium nitrate and nitroglycerine. The blast occurred shortly after the factory opened at 0615 local time (0515GMT). It is thought two members of staff were working with dynamite at the time. Both of them died, along with a third worker. A 25-year-old man thought to have been in the building with them is missing. ‘High risk’ The blast started a fire, which was quickly brought under control by firefighters. here was not thought to be any risk to the environment. The Nitrochimie plant produces more than 12,000 tonnes of explosives a year. It is officially classified as a high-risk site, meaning it must take extra safety measures. There are more than 350 such sites in France. An explosion at a chemical factory in Toulouse in September 2001 left 30 people dead and hundreds injured. 

Kennecott Copper says 2 men injured in smelter fire
Reuters, 03.26.03, 11:29 AM ET
NEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) – Kennecott Utah Copper Corp. said Wednesday that two workers at its copper smelter near Salt Lake City were injured in a flash fire on Tuesday morning and transported to a nearby hospital’s burn unit. Kennecott spokesman Louis Cononelos told Reuters that one worker received second- and third-degree burns from his knees to his shoulders and was flown by helicopter to the Intermountain Burn Center at the University of Utah Hospital. The second man had first- and second-degree burns on his arms and was taken by ambulance to the same hospital in Salt Lake City, Cononelos said. The worker was released from the burn center on Tuesday night. The more seriously-injured man remained hospitalized on Wednesday, said Cononelos. A spokesman at the hospital said he could not comment on the injured man’s present condition. Kennecott Utah Copper, located in Magna, Utah, about 15 miles west of Salt Lake City, is a U.S. subsidiary of global miner Rio Tinto Ltd/Plc . Cononelos said the men are contractors at Kennecott. They were repairing the duct system at a furnace in the Hot Metals building when a grinder appeared to have sparked oxygen in the duct, causing the blast, he said. Kennecott safety professionals started an investigation into the accident on Tuesday. “Our initial investigation shows that there was, for some reason, a concentration of oxygen in that duct system that should not have been there. That’s what caused the flash,” Cononelos added. He said he did not know if the accident would have any effect on production at the smelter, which has been producing primary copper cathode at a rate of more than 300,000 short tons per year. An estimated 1,200 to 1,300 unionized employees at Kennecott’s utah copper operations are working without a labor contract after the previous one expired in September, 2002. 

Albemarle blast shakes Orangeburg in wee hours
By RICHARD WALKER and LEE HARTER, The Times and Democrat
An early-morning blast at Albemarle Corp.’s Orangeburg plant was felt several miles away in the city of Orangeburg but resulted in no chemical release and no serious injury, officials say. Albemarle Plant Manager Scott Bottelberghe said the blast before 2 a.m. Tuesday occurred from an unexpected pressure increase in a glass-lined, 1,000-gallon vessel used for mixing chemicals. The release line was not adequate to vent the pressure, resulting in the “rapid decompression.” The result was a dark cloud seen at the Albemarle site on Cannon Bridge Road. Bottelberghe said, and officials confirm, the cloud was mostly steam and dust. There was no fire. The two chemicals involved, used in the pharmaceutical-making process, are aluminum chloride and fluorobenzene. There was little or no release of either, Bottelberghe said. The cloud was a byproduct of the blast. “Looking at the two chemical compounds we had, most stayed here,” he said. John McLauchlin, air section manager for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, said, “We had an explosion out here and the two raw products involved were consumed in the initial flash. The ingredient that actually flashed (flourobenzene) has a low flash point. We don’t expect that any of it escaped.” Spokesman Thom Berry said DHEC was notified of the incident about 2:30 a.m. The agency’s primary involvement was ensuring proper cleanup of the wastewater generated when the heat set off the fire-suppression system. One Albemarle employee suffered a torn ligament in his leg while negotiating stairs after the accident, Bottelberghe said. Otherwise, there was no injury. “Substantial damage” was confined to a 20-foot-by-20-foot area, Bottelberghe said. Nearby equipment suffered no damage. Thankful the result was not worse, Bottelberghe said, “Multiple layers of safety failed us. … Still, the incident was relatively short and had no other impact.” The man who took over in February as plant manager said, “I want to make sure the community understands that we really want to be a vital part of this community. We feel that it is our responsibility to operate safety. This is an unfortunate incident and we are going to correct anything that is found.” The process involved has been temporarily shut down, as was another at the plant following a similar blast in January 2001. Bottelberghe said the two incidents are not related, noting the other process was not resumed at the Orangeburg facility. “I want the community to know that we’re not going to hide anything,” he said, praising also the efforts of on-site emergency crews. “Our emergency response did a good job.” The blast was felt in downtown Orangeburg and beyond. “I had fallen asleep watching TV and woke up around 1:20,” said Ramona Garrick of Carolina Avenue. “I couldn’t go back to sleep and then I heard it. The first thing that came to my mind was Albemarle It shook the house. I knew it wasn’t anything simple. “A few minutes later, it sounded like maybe the fire trucks. I was pretty certain something had happened.” T&D Region S ports Writer Mike Rosier lives on Columbia Road. “I thought it was thunder at first,” Rosier said. “I was just sitting there watching TV when it went off. I felt the floor shaking and I was like ‘Good grief! What was that?’ Then I heard sirens going off. It sounded like an explosion. It was one of those things you hope is thunder because something that loud — you just hope it’s thunder.” Around 1:56 a.m., emergency officials, fire and police were dispatched to the Cannon Bridge Road chemical plant after nearby residents and third-shift workers reported the blast. In those early-morning hours, emergency officials were concerned that aluminum chloride had been released in the resulting cloud. Orangeburg County Emergency Preparedness Director John Smith said, “They Albemarle officials) said it was steam and dust. They said no product was released.” Around 4 a.m., radio communications between DHEC and emergency personnel indicated a reactor, normally kept at 35 degrees Celsius, had heated up to 100 degrees Celsius. Also, emergency crews worked early into the morning using computer programs designed to simulate such an emergency to determine if any of the chemical escaped, Smith said. “In this type of thing, most of the product is usually consumed in the explosion,” Smith said then. “But we’re running models to see if any chemical left in the cloud.” “A chemical reactor is a vessel they use to mix chemicals,” Smith said. “I believe they are saying there may have been a problem in the heating system.” Aluminum chloride is an whitish-gray or yellowish liquid or powder used in making other chemicals, dyes and astringents. The chemical is highly corrosive and can cause eye and skin irritation. A hazardous material fact sheet lists aluminum chloride as a reactive chemical and explosion hazard. 

UPDATE China mine blast toll doubles
BEIJING, China (AP) –Rescuers have found 60 bodies of miners killed in a weekend explosion at a coal mine in northern China, and 12 others are missing, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Four miners have been rescued from the mine in Xiaoyi, a city in Shanxi province, Xinhua said late Tuesday. It did not say whether there was any indication the missing miners were still alive. More than 100 rescuers have been working around the clock searching the mine, Xinhua said. On Wednesday, team members dressed in orange jumpsuits were shown on state television news carrying respirators and preparing to descend into the mine. China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with more than 5,000 deaths reported last year in fires, explosions and flooding. The gas explosion Saturday in the Mengnanzhuang mine was the third accident this month to kill more than 10 miners in Shanxi, a major coal-producing region, Xinhua said. Authorities have ordered all of the province’s coal mines to close for safety checks, the report said. 

Bodies found in China mine explosion 
Last Updated Mon, 24 Mar 2003 8:14:03 
BEIJING – Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 50 coal miners killed after an underground explosion in northern China. Rescue officials said 22 miners are still missing. Only one miner has been found alive since the blast Saturday at the mine located in Xiaoyi city. Earlier reports said 15 workers had survived the explosion at the Mengnanzhuang mine. The cause of the accident at the privately owned mine is still under investigation. The mine had a licence to operate. China’s mining industry is one of the world’s deadliest. More than 5,000 deaths were reported last year in coal mines. Many of the accidents were blamed on a lack of ventilation and fire equipment in small, often illegally run mines.

 

Edison fire extinguished; Transformer fails, causes fierce blaze
By Greg Botonis Staff Writer Saturday, March 22, 2003
ACTON — A blaze that lit up the sky Friday night and into Saturday morning at a Southern California Edison substation was finally extinguished after more than seven hours. Dozens of firefighters including a specialized team from Air Force Plant 42 were called in to help battle the blaze caused by a failed transformer and fueled by mineral oil used to cool the transformers. “We continue to have the situation, fortunately, where no customers are affected,” said SCE spokesman Gil Alexander. Officials began their initial assessment to try to determine what caused the equipment failure but said it may be several weeks before they can make a determination. When the fire was reported just after 6:30 p.m. Friday, fire crews could see the flames rising, more than 100 feet in the air, from as far away as 10 miles. Crews battled the blaze throughout the night and into the early morning hours but because of the intense heat of the boiling mineral oil, the blaze raged on. Fire crews even attempted to smoother the blaze using foam, but the foam just baked and burned away. By about 1:30 a.m., crews had the blaze extinguished but then spent the next several hours spraying the transformers to cool them down. Officials said the one person who was at the substation when the fire broke out was not injured. Highway traffic coming into the Antelope Valley was affected by slowing vehicles and road blocks, when California Highway Patrol officers barricaded the Angeles Forest Highway off-ramp and one lane along the road past the fire. The road was still partially blocked as of Saturday afternoon. Southern California Edison customers experienced lights flickering but none lost power, officials said. According to SCE officials, the substation has high-voltage wires entering one side, carrying power in from other states. Those high-voltage lines then pass through the transformers, which decrease the voltage and then continue out the other side to homes and businesses throughout Southern California. Official say after they make their determination as to what caused the transformer to fail, they will begin the task of replacing the damaged equipment.

UPDATE Lawsuit filed against owners of N.C. plant that exploded
March 23, 2003 
Three people have sued the owners of the Kinston plant that exploded in January, alleging the blast exposed them to dangerous chemicals and damaged their property. The lawsuit is the first stemming from the explosion that killed six people and destroyed West Pharmaceutical Services’ medical supply plant Jan. 29. Plaintiffs Terry Ellis, Rosalie Whitley and Gloria Young want a Superior Court judge to classify the case a class-action lawsuit, which would allow others with similar claims to join as plaintiffs. “It was a community harm,” said New Bern attorney Donald J. Dunn, one of seven attorneys handling the complaint. The other lawyers are from Louisiana. The lawsuit alleges West Pharmaceuticals, based in Lionville, Pa., failed to keep its plant safe and didn’t carefully handle dangerous chemicals. Plant manager Thomas Clagon is accused of failing to properly supervise employees. The plaintiffs also say the company should be held liable for damages even if negligence isn’t proven because the nature of its work was so hazardous. “Some situations are so dangerous that people get hurt sooner or later,” Dunn said. Dunn filed the claim in Craven County instead of Lenoir County, where the plant was located. Several Craven County residents were harmed in the blast, but Dunn also said the suit may be more difficult for Lenoir County residents to judge fairly. “I feel it would be a less political issue in Craven County,” Dunn said. Raleigh attorney Brian M. Williams, listed in court filings as representatives of the defendants, declined to comment on the case. Federal investigators concluded that the ignition of airborne dust particles caused the explosion, though they remain uncertain of the source of the spark. State labor officials and a federal chemical safety agency continue to investigate the accident. 

Kerala: Four killed in blast at fireworks unit 
Velloor: Four persons were killed in an explosion that rocked a fireworks manufacturing unit in a remote area near Velur, 25 km from here, this afternoon. Police gave the names of the victims as Thankappu (50) and Remesh (30), both from Velur, Anil Kumar from Koottanad, on the Thrissur-Malappuram border, and his brother, Mohan. All the four were working in the unit when the explosion occurred. The blast shook the area with its high decibel sound. Rajan from Velur, who was working in the unit, was missing since the accident. The police said his whole family was absconding after the mishap, apparently fearing any interrogation in connection with the accident. A thorough search would be conducted in the area to find out whether any more bodies are present at the scene of the accident. Parts of the bodies were strewed all around, as much as 500 metres, in the impact of the explosion. None of the bodies was intact. The factory is located in an isolated rubber plantation adjacent to the Manimalarkavu temple – one reason why the casualty was minimum. The production of fireworks was being done in tents made of cloths. Since the production and storing were being done separately, the impact of the explosion was minimum. Large quantities of explosives were being stored in a separate tent, but it escaped the blast. The unit owned by Davies Olakkenkil is a licensed one. The explosion occurred when the unit was reportedly engaged in the production of fireworks for the ensuing famous Nenmara-Vellangi Vela festival. The unit had just completed the production of huge quantities of fireworks for the Kothara Vela festival near Chalissery being held today. A visit to the spot indicated that the unit possessed hardly any safety measures. Even access was much strenuous as it is located inside a forest-like plantation. No facilities such as fire extinguisher or emergency treatment facilities were available in the vicinity. The owner was absconding after the accident. There was a major accident in the same unit about ten years ago claiming ten lives. The Collector, V. M. Gopala Menon, the SP, Janardanan Nair, and other senior officials visited the spot to supervise the relief and rescue operations. The police have begun an investigation into the blast. Experts of the Forensic and Explosive Departments are likely to visit the spot on Sunday. The Revenue Minister, K. M. Mani, who was in the district when the accident occurred, has directed the Collector to take immediate relief measures to the victims. The Collector has granted Rs. 1,000 as interim relief to the relatives of the deceased. 

Four alarm fire at Northwest Austin warehouse
Updated: 3/22/2003 6:00:34 PM By: News 8 Austin Staff 
The Austin Fire Dept. took about two hours to put out a fire at a mattress factory warehouse Saturday. The four alarm fire broke out about 2:30 p.m. in a storage facility for Texas Discount Furniture, at North Lamar and St. John’s. Firefighters said heavy smoke and flames were coming from the building when they arrived on the scene. At one point, the fire was so intense that firefighters had to call for more trucks. They say the fire was difficult to control because of flammable materials in the warehouse and storage area. The store remains open and no one was hurt in the fire. No word yet on what caused the fire.

 

UPDATE Mill fire ruled accident
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RAPID CITY – The fire at a Black Hills lumber mill that prompted the evacuation of Whitewood has been declared an accident. Jeff Parrett, vice president of the Wheeler Lumber Company, said the blaze was started when a boiler over-pressurized and exploded. The state fire marshal deemed the fire an accident, Parrett said. Insurance adjusters have been on the scene and, despite the loss of the treatment facility, the mill is operational again, Parrett said. Cleanup is expected to take two to three months. The fire started Sunday. Emergency crews had told the residents of Whitewood to leave because they feared they would breathe fumes from wood preservatives at the mill. Residents were allowed to return to their homes Monday. The Wheeler Lumber Company has 35 employees. It supplies timbers for highway bridges and utility poles nationwide and makes agricultural building materials. Only three employees worked in the burned out treatment facility and Parrett said they will work in other parts of the mill. 

Ohio FedEx facility evacuated after explosion of small package labeled West Nile virus
A package labeled as containing the West Nile virus exploded at a Federal Express facility, and about 50 workers were evacuated. Fire officials said dry ice used to preserve tissue samples containing live virus may have caused the shoebox-sized package to burst late Tuesday at the FedEx office near Port Columbus International Airport. The package contained brain and kidney tissue from a bird that had tested positive for the virus, said Jay Carey, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health. The department was sending the material to a researcher at the University of Texas. The virus was live but the samples were frozen and unlikely to become airborne, Carey said. “The risk to employees or first-responders is still very low,” he said. “Only people with open wounds who would come in direct contact with the sample material would be at any risk of infection.” Workers were allowed back into the building after about four hours. “I think everyone’s anxiety level is kind of high,” said police Sgt. Brent Mull.

UPDATE Officials Determine Apparent Cause Of Industrial Fire; Sparks Probably Started Blaze 
March 19, 2003 
WARWICK, R.I. — Sparks from a grinding-machine operation apparently caused a blaze that destroyed a tool-making plant this week, officials said. The roughly 60 people inside the W.L. Fuller factory escaped Monday’s fire unharmed. Fire Chief Jack Chartier said firefighters remained on the scene until 4 a.m. Tuesday. He said he expected the department’s Fire Prevention Bureau to submit a report by Thursday on its findings. Chartier confirmed what several employees said at the scene Monday: sparks flew in a first-floor room used for metal grinding. “What we are trying to pin down now is exactly what operation caused that to happen, whether it is a piece of machinery that broke, an employee (error), or heat that just built up in the process,” Chartier said. “That is the question, what came first.” W.L. Fuller Inc. makes woodcutting tools. The company has been in business since 1945 and at its present location since 1979. The building was not equipped with sprinklers or with a system that automatically closes fire doors. While those are required for new plants, the plant predates those requirements and is exempt from them because of so-called “grandfather’s rights.” Chartier said a sprinkler system “would have helped, and it is my guess that sprinklers would have kept (the fire) to the room of origin.” Six siblings run the business. The Fullers said they want to rebuild, but were unsure how long it could take. They said the building is insured for $450,000, its contents for $1.3 million, and that they have $2 million in work-stoppage insurance. “The contents of the building are a total loss as far as I am concerned. We may not have enough resources to put (the business) back together again,” David Fuller said. The Fullers advised workers to file for unemployment. Several employees who came to the site Tuesday praised the owners, saying they occasionally lent employees money for a car or back child support. “They are the type of people that if you were in a bind and needed some money they would take it out of their pocket,” said Patrick Gallagher, an eight-year employee.

UPDATE Martek under investigation after Ky. explosion
Keith T. Reed Contributing Writer 
Martek Biosciences is under investigation by officials in Kentucky following an explosion at a wastewater treatment plant there. The explosion and fire at the plant in Winchester, Ky., on March 12 resulted only in property damage. Fire investigators are looking into the possibility that emissions of hexane gas from a nearby Martek facility were a factor in the incident, according to the company’s annual report, filed March 18 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Five days after the explosion at the Strode’s Creek Water Treatment Plant, Kentucky’s fire marshal issued a finding that Martek had not met some requirements to prevent hexane from its plant from seeping into the Winchester sewer system, the filing said. The blast leveled one building and allowed raw sewage to escape into a local creek, but caused no injuries according to published reports about the incident. The company claims it had already taken such precautions and is cooperating with the investigation. “At this time, we do not believe this matter will have a material impact on production output or our results of operations; however, we are still gathering information about the incident,” the company said. Columbia-based Martek makes oils and other supplements for infant formulas out of microalgae. The company had recently begun using a new 25,000-square-foot shipping, packaging and cold storage facility in Winchester. Last November, Martek installed three new fermenters at the plant.

UPDATE Investigators move closer to cause of Newton blast; Results of preliminary probe into propane fire could come today
By Matt Manochio, Daily Record
NEWTON — Results of a preliminary investigation into what caused a propane explosion at Able Energy Inc.’s fuel depot could be released as early as today, although a propane blaze at the site may burn for several more days, the company’s CEO, Tim Harrington, said Tuesday. Fire officials say the fire is under control, but firefighters are continuing to douse the truck that is leaking the propane, seeking to prevent another explosion while the propane burns itself out. The blast blew out windows and forced evacuation of the neighborhood surrounding the Diller Avenue company, whose office building was leveled. Only minor injuries were reported. It was unclear exactly what ignited the blaze. Earlier speculation held that the explosion was a result of a mishap during a fuel transfer operation, either from a stationary tank into a delivery truck or from a tanker truck into a delivery truck. “I can confirm that there are no permanent propane tanks on the Newton site,” Able’s chief operating officer and spokesman John Vrable said Tuesday. He declined to comment on whether propane was being transferred from one truck to another. Vrable said that issue would be dealt with in today’s report. “I believe (Wednesday) we’ll be able to provide much clarity around that issue,” he said. The company’s most recent financial statements, for the fiscal year ended this past June 30, state that the company sends its fleet of four delivery trucks off-site to buy propane from wholesalers. Aerial photographs of the company site after the explosion show what appears to be either a large tank or tanker-truck near the blazing truck. Other propane companies said it is possible to transfer propane from truck to truck, but it is not generally a good idea for safety reasons. Propane delivery trucks usually are loaded with propane from special aboveground storage tanks, representatives of other propane companies said, and transferring from truck to truck isn’t a standard practice. “I know it’s typically not done,” said Robert B. Nicholson III, president and CEO of Eastern Propane, based in Oak Ridge in Passaic County. “I know it can be done in a supervised manner. It is not normal operating practice.” Nicholson said his company’s propane is delivered by rail car or 18-wheeler transfer trucks to bulk plant distribution facilities. There, the gas is put into specialized aboveground storage tanks that hold either 30,000 or 60,000 gallons of fuel. The propane is then transferred from those tanks, which are equipped with special shut-off valves and other safety equipment, into the smaller delivery trucks. Should something go wrong during one of those transfers, safety valves “automatically shut off the flow of gas,” he said. Nicholson said that while storage tanks are equipped with automatic safety technology, the delivery trucks typically aren’t. Scott Brockelmeyer, a spokesman for Ferrellgas, a nationwide company with a facility in Franklin, agreed with Nicholson’s description. “I couldn’t have put it any better than that,” he said. Brockelmeyer said that Ferrellgas would do a truck-to-truck transfer under certain emergency circumstances. If a delivery truck flipped over or were involved in an accident, it would be appropriate to funnel the fuel from that truck into another, he said. Emergency officials made such a transfer Saturday when it appeared that a second truck at the Able Energy site had developed a leak. Firefighters dashed onto the site behind a protective curtain of water, attached a chain to the truck, pulled it out with a heavy-duty wrecker and transferred its propane load to another truck. “We do not make a practice of loading a (small delivery) truck from a large truck because those safety measures are not in place,” Brockelmeyer said. “The standard defense mechanism, if you will, is not in place, that is the snap-off valve.” Authorities believe that the propane truck that has burned continuously since Friday was a casualty of the explosion and not its source. Newton police Capt. Donald T. Donofrio said he did not want to comment specifically as to what caused the explosion, saying investigators need to evaluate the fire scene once the blaze finally is extinguished. “We have a good idea as to the cause,” he said, adding that it appeared accidental. Other officials have said it is believed that a 2,300-gallon home delivery truck was being refilled from a larger unit on the site when the connecting hose somehow detached and spewed liquid propane on the ground. The propane spread and was ignited by an unknown source. The explosion, just after 5 p.m. Friday, rocked the area, shattering windows, blowing doors off their hinges and ripping shingles from roofs. Four days after the blast, the damaged neighborhood looked like a ghost town. Restaurants, video stores and gas stations all were closed. Nobody without authorization was allowed anywhere near the fire. Donofrio said people will be allowed to return home only after the fire is extinguished completely and safety inspectors deem the area hazard-free. Sussex County Deputy Fire Marshal Joseph Inga said that the safest course officials can take at this point is to let the propane burn itself out, rather than outright extinguishing it, because vapors and propane would continue to leak after the fire was squelched. The constant water is intended to keep the truck cool, rather than douse the flames, to prevent vapor pressure from increasing too much inside the tank. Inga said that state Department of Environmental Protection officials have been on-site since Friday and have determined that air quality is not a problem. Newton schools — the Merriam Avenue School, Halstead Street School and Newton High School — were closed for the week, and a decision will be made over the weekend if a longer closure is necessary, Superintendent Bob Gratz said. The parochial elementary school St. Joseph’s also will be closed at least today. Students in Newton walk to school and the route for many takes them through the so-called “hot zone” around Able Energy. Gratz said that graduation has been pushed tentatively from June 9 to June 23. A final graduation date will be determined during a board of education meeting in April. In the meantime, the Red Cross has established a service center at the Merriam Avenue Elementary School where displaced residents can request shelter, clothing or medicine vouchers. Town Manager Camille Furgiuele said that anyone who has been evacuated but who has not contacted the Red Cross should do so by either calling it directly at (973) 579-1600 or by contacting the town hall at (973) 383-3523. Town officials want to be able to contact those who have been displaced to give them updates as to when they might be able to return home.

Two workers burned in Akron plant fire
AKRON: Employees evacuated SIA Adhesives Inc. after a fire began Monday afternoon on the second floor of the tri-level building at 123 W. Bartges St. Firefighters received a call at 4:03 p.m. and were able to get the blaze under control in about 30 minutes. Two employees suffered burns and were transported to the burn unit of Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron, firefighters said. The fire began in a solvent room because of static electricity in a mixing vat, firefighters said. A damage estimate was not immediately available. 

Metal shavings burn in Ontario factory fire
Monday, March 17, 2003 – 
ONTARIO — A metal shaving container caught fire Monday morning in the receiving area of the Louisville Slugger Company at 1800 S. Archibald Ave. in Ontario. Fire Capt. Kevin Wolf, with the Ontario Fire Department said no one was injured during the short blaze that started at 10:36 a.m. and was put out by 11 a.m., but the container managed to spark another fire in a large rubbish bin filled with cardboard. Both blazes were contained within minutes. Two engines and one chief officer responded to the fire, he said. The company makes baseball bats. The bin that caught fire is used to catch and hold the metal shavings which result from the bat’s manufacturing, Wolf explained. Company employees acted quickly to minimize damage from the fire, he explained. A group of company workers pushed the metal shaving container away from the building and into the middle of the parking lot. In addition, employees from the company across the lot at 2620 Francis Street, started dousing the fire with a water hose prior to firefighers’ arrival, Wolf said. The cause of the small fire is still under investigation and a damage estimate was not immediately available. A man who described himself as one of the company’s managers would not comment on what may have caused the flare-up, or give a company estimate on the monetary loss. 

Fire Moves Up Date for Scheduled Shutdown at Lufkin Paper Mill
by Alex Carias 
An early Sunday morning fire at the number eight Abitibi paper mill plant has forced them to move up a planned shutdown. There were no injuries from the fire, but enough damage was done to the machine to force it to shutdown. Abitibi had planned to shutdown both the number 8 and number 2 mills because of high energy costs beginning this Sunday, March 23. That shutdown has just been moved up. The entire mill is expected to come back up April 1. The cause of fire is still under investigation. 

Fire forces evacuations, destroys Franklin plant
By Terry Horne March 18, 2003
A Franklin metal plating plant burned to the ground early this morning in a fire that forced the evacuation of a nearby subdivision, delayed the opening of Franklin Community Schools and left a massive cleanup for environmental crews. Franklin Fire Dept. Capt. Ron Macy said the fire was reported at the Electro-Spec plant on Earlywood Drive, in an industrial area north of the city, about 4 a.m. When firefighters arrived about four minutes later, heavy smoke was pouring from the building, and the seven employees known to be working inside the building were outside and uninjured. Due to the hazardous chemicals stored in the building’s warehouse and plating shop areas, firefighters followed a pre-planned response, allowing the fire to burn but containing it, Macy said. Assistant Franklin Fire Chief Jim Reese said the 12,500-square-foot building did not have an automatic fire suppression system and was built before code required it. Electro-Spec specializes in the electroplating of electronic parts with metal coatings such as gold, silver and specialized alloys. It stored at its plant several thousand pounds of caustic chemicals such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid and sodium hydroxide and toxic chemicals such as copper cyanide and sodium cyanide. “It’s probably the nastiest chemical place in the city,” said Macy. Shortly after the fire began, firefighters began knocking on doors in Branigin Creek, a subdivision of several dozen homes across U.S. 31 but immediately downwind of the fire, and advising residents to evacuate. A family in the 1100 block of Branifield Court said they heard knocking on the door about 3 a.m. There was heavy smoke in the air. “They told us we shouldn’t be in the house breathing it,” said David, who asked that his last name not be used because of his work in the criminal justice system. Macy said firefighters were constantly checking the air around the plant. He said they mostly detected carbon monoxide, a threat in any fire. While the building burned, firefighters shut down a nearby section of U.S. 31, prompting Franklin Community Schools to declare a two-hour delay. Seven area fire departments finally brought the blaze under control about 7:30 a.m., and the highway was reopened shortly before that. Macy said firefighters and inspectors with the Johnson County Board of Health were checking the air quality in surrounding neighborhoods. During the blaze, firefighters used sand and booms in an unsuccessful attempt to contain the water from their hoses on site. Macy said both the contaminated water and soil would probably have to be removed. Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials arrived this morning to direct the cleanup, he said. Macy said one firefighter was treated for chest pains. Fire departments battling the blaze came from Amity, Bargersville, Franklin, Greenwood, Needham, New Whiteland and Whiteland. The building was totally destroyed. The dollar value of the loss was not available. 

Plant fire likely caused by human error 
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) — Human error likely caused a trench filled with molten sulfur to catch fire at a phosphates plant and was also likely why the plant’s fire suppression system was not working properly, officials said. Static electricity apparently ignited molten sulfur in a trench leading from a truck deposit area at SF Phosphates southeast of Rock Springs on Thursday. The truck, however, was not likely grounded the way it was supposed to be, plant manager Rick Laurentius said. The fire continued to burn after the automatic fire suppression system activated. “Somebody, for some reason, lifted a lid off they shouldn’t have lifted off,” Laurentius said. The company’s fire brigade controlled the blaze by the time Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1 officials arrived on scene. Moist fire blankets were placed on the fire, creating the steam needed to extinguish it. No one was injured and the gas posed no danger to nearby communities. 

Warehouse fire causes $1 million in damage 
March 18, 2003 By Bradley Cole / Post-Tribune correspondent 
HAMMOND — An early morning fire at a local warehouse left one firefighter slightly injured and caused an estimated $1 million dollars in damage. Hammond firefighters were called to the Lazy-Boy Warehouse, 724 Hoffman St., about 4 a.m. Sunday for a fire that broke out in a facility where cardboard is broken down and bundled. Hammond Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Stanek said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. He said an employee of the business was briefly detained and questioned about the fire, but no charges have been filed. Hammond firefighter John Boykin was slightly injured after the fire was put out. “A brick fell from the building and struck Boykin on the helmet,” Stanek said. “The brick ricocheted off of his shoulder and his face. He needed eight stitches to his chin and five stitches to his lip. He was treated and released.” Marsha Forcey, co-owner of the Lazy-Boy warehouse, said most of the fire was contained thanks to the fire department. “Had the fire department not responded so quickly and did what they did, we would have lost our business,” Forcey said. “We’re thankful none of our employees, who had been loading a truck, were injured.” Stanek said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Fire damages coffee distribution warehouse 3/15
Staff report 
ADVANCE — A fire at a rural coffee distributor on Friday badly damaged a warehouse containing coffee supplies and left one worker injured. The warehouse contained an estimated $200,000 in supplies owned by Brewmaster Coffee Inc., said Karen Terrell, whose husband Chris and father-in-law Ron Terrell operate the 18-year-old business located at 815 S. County Road 1050W, about three miles northwest of Advance. She was unsure how much inventory might be damaged. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Advance Volunteer Fire Department. About 20 firefighters from the Advance and Sugar Creek Township fire departments battled the 2:45 p.m. fire, which appeared to originate at the building’s south end. An employee, whose full name was unavailable at press time, sustained smoke-related injuries while trying to move supplies and propane tanks away from the flames. As firefighters poured water on the fire, cases of coffee, sugar, cocoa and creamer lay on pallets in the muddy driveway. Smoke — easily visible from Indiana 32 — climbed high into the blue afternoon sky as firefighters brought the blaze under control. Brewmaster, which employs 15 people, is a wholesale coffee and coffee supply distributor throughout Indiana and parts of Illinois. The business started in 1985 and moved to its current location in 1994.

Machines destroyed in sawmill blaze 
Sandakan: Three wood-cutting machines were destroyed by fire in a sawmill factory along Jalan Batu Sapi, near here, Saturday night. Fourteen firemen in two engines led by fire officers, Joe Sipijoh and Misran Sonny, were despatched to the scene upon being alerted, around 10pm. They managed to contain and extinguish the blaze before it could spread to the other parts of the factory. The cause of the fire and damage are being investigated. Meanwhile, some two hours earlier, a main switch of a lamp pole at the Mile 31/2 medium-cost apartments caught fire following an explosion. The incident drew a large crowd of curious onlookers before the firemen were called in to put out the blaze. 

Fire crews tackle 50ft flames at a huge blaze
Mar 17, 2003, 11:00:00
Half the West Midlands fire brigade were called in to tackle one of the biggest blazes the region has ever seen, as more than 100,000 plastic crates went up in flames. Up to 150 firefighters tackled 50ft flames at the blaze in Walsall. Two of them had to be treated at hospital for burns and blisters. Chief fire officer Jim Onions said: “Around 30 crews came here which means that half of the brigade was involved in the operation. “This was the worst incident since the start of the strike action and one of the worst fires we have seen in the region for many, many years.” Many of the crews in attendance had only just finished dealing with an arson attack in Bentley Road South, Darlaston, where ten lorries were set alight. Windows and windscreens were smashed to get into the cabs of the fleet of heavy goods vehicles which were parked in a compound at European Metal Recycling Ltd. The two fires happened on Saturday night. The later blaze in Newfield Close, off Green Lane, was also thought to have been started deliberately. It destroyed stacks of new bread crates in an outdoor storage yard at Linpac, formerly Paxtons. The heat from the flames has been estimated at between 600 and 800 degrees centigrade at the fire’s height. The flames spread to steel factory Samuel Wilkes Engineering Ltd next door causing severe structural damage. Eyewitness Craig Clarke, 29, of Goscote Lane, Goscote, said: “I work at Linpacs, but I live two miles away. “I was just going to bed when I saw the fire from the bedroom window. The flames were absolutely massive. You’re talking 40 to 50 feet high, no kidding.”

Fires still burning, displacing residents
By Peggy Wright, Daily Record
NEWTON -A propane gas fire that has devoured more than 3 million gallons of water and temporarily displaced at least 500 people was still burning late Saturday, almost 30 hours after it started. While firefighters kept up a ceaseless water spray Saturday on the fire at Able Energy Inc. on Diller Avenue, a new potential hazard detected around 11:30 a.m. led to the widening of a so-called “hot zone” or evacuation area around the customer service center. At 5:04 p.m. Friday, an explosion in a 2,300-gallon propane truck set off a fire at the fuel truck depot. Just before noon Saturday, state Department of Environmental Protection officials who were monitoring air quality at the scene, detected a leak in a second propane truck that was damaged by the explosion. For a few hours, the new threat intensified the atmosphere of drama in the Sussex County seat of 7,521 residents, where dozens of fire trucks, patrol cars, standby ambulances and other emergency response vehicles had been parked in lots and on streets since Friday afternoon. Authorities quickly expanded the evacuation zone to include about 50 additional homes on Woodside and Merriam avenues and Orchard and Sussex streets. Protected by a curtain of water, firefighters ran into the yard, attached a chain between the disabled second truck and a heavy-duty wrecker, towed the truck out of the yard and unloaded its liquid propane into a new truck, said Eskil “Skip” Danielson, director of the Sussex County Office of Emergency Management. Residents within Saturday’s broadened evacuation zone were allowed to return home by around 8 p.m. But residents originally evacuated Friday night – tenants of 102 apartment units at the Merriam Gateway complex and in some houses on Diller, Woodside and Sparta avenues and Trinity Street within a half-mile radius of the blast site – had to spend Saturday night away from home. Dozens of the displaced sought refuge in the emergency shelter set up at the Merriam Avenue Elementary School by the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Chapter Chairman Rodney Lockwood said he expected that at least 50 people would sleep Saturday night in the school’s multipurpose room. Police and Town Manager Camille Furgiuele said it was still too early to know precisely what caused the explosion, because investigators cannot inspect the light-industrial site until the fire is completely extinguished and no hazards remain. The investigation into the cause will be conducted by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, the State Police, and other agencies. “We haven’t gotten to the point of accountability yet,” Furgiuele said. “We have been trying to assist people with individual problems like ‘where’s my medication? and ‘where’s my car’ Safety has been our highest priority and we haven’t even accessed the site to assess the damage.” Newton Police Chief John Tomasula said police are at least confident that the explosion and fire started accidentally. Officials were still marveling – and residents were swapping close-call stories – that no one was killed or seriously injured. Newton Police Capt. Donald Donofrio was grateful for the timing: Children typically use an abandoned railroad bed near Able Energy as a shortcut home around 3 p.m. and office workers who use Diller or Sparta avenues as routes home missed the explosion by minutes. Even when the fire is officially declared out, the original core of evacuated residents will not be allowed to return until their homes are deemed habitable, officials said. They estimated that perhaps a dozen homes in close proximity to the blast had windows, doors or chimneys blown off or foundations and roofs damaged, but close scrutiny had not yet been possible. Furgiuele met Saturday with town Construction Officer Rob Bittle and rounded up construction officials from a few other towns to inspect homes once the Able Energy site is declared stable, she said. The massive amount of water directed at dousing the fire created low pressure – or no water at all – in many dwellings and businesses in Newton. Officials said it will be a day or two before the water system fully recovers, and potable water buffalos have been set up at the Merriam Avenue School and at firehouses off Woodside Avenue and on Mill Street. The continuous spray on the Able Energy yard was intended to cool the flaming propane truck while the liquid propane burned itself out. The hazard can actually increase as the amount of propane decreases, Danielson said, creating what is called a BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion). Vapor pressure inside a propane tank increases as the liquid’s temperature increases, so emergency workers were keeping the tank as cool as possible. An Able Energy official said the company does not expect any disruptions in service to its more than 30,000 customers in northern New Jersey. Chief Operating Officer John Vrabel said that three propane trucks, two empty tractor-trailers, and about eight fuel oil delivery trucks were on the property Friday afternoon, along with the personal vehicles of some employees. Vehicles from the company’s Rockaway facilities were being used Saturday by Newton facility drivers to deliver to customers in the Newton area. Staff that previously worked out of the Diller Avenue site will work in upcoming weeks from additional stations being set up at the company’s Green Pond Road offices in Rockaway. Vrabel said that five employees escaped from the company’s wood-frame, customer service building seconds before the explosion. Several other workers and drivers were in the yard and also escaped. Of the employees, one suffered a foot injury, and the service manager, who made sure all employees were off the site, suffered muscular injuries, bruising and abrasions, Vrabel said. A spokeswoman for Newton Memorial Hospital said Saturday that 20 patients were seen Friday as a result of the explosion and four people were admitted. Those released were treated for minor injuries that included ear problems and cuts from flying glass. The spokeswoman would not describe the maladies of those admitted, including one who was released Saturday, but said all were in stable condition.

Fire erupts at West Deptford plant
Sunday, March 16, 2003 By TOM LOUNSBERRY Courier-Post Staff 
WEST DEPTFORD- About 150 firefighters spent about 12 hours Saturday battling a fire that sent heavy smoke and flames shooting through the roof of a chemical plant, forcing about 25 workers to flee. Six Gloucester County firefighters were treated at Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury for minor injuries and released. The four-alarm fire erupted about 12:30 a.m. at the Johnson Matthey Chemical Co., in the 2000 block of Nolte Drive. The 250,000-square-foot plant does precious metals processing and recovery. At least nine fire departments from Gloucester and Camden counties and hazardous materials teams from the two counties responded. Firefighters initially brought the blaze in the four-story concrete building under control within six hours, said Rick Conte, deputy chief of the Thorofare Fire Department. They returned to the scene about 9:30 a.m. to extinguish “hot spots” that began to appear. Two firefighters suffering from exhaustion were then sent to the hospital in Woodbury. This time, firefighters took about an hour to put out the fire. The blaze caused a partial roof collapse. The extent of the damage had not yet been determined. “We haven’t been able to get inside like we’d like to, so I really don’t want to make that speculation,” said Richard Trout, operations director for the United Kingdom-based company’s New Jersey plant. Plant officials said the blaze started in the fiberglass ducts of a refinery production area. About 25 workers from two shifts were in the building at the time, but only four or five were in the refinery portion. All were sent home. The company is expected to remain closed throughout the weekend. Air, water and ground samples were taken throughout the morning and no environmental damage was found, Conte said. 

UPDATE Chemical Board Still Probing Ruins of Kinston Plant
By Associated Press
Federal investigators still are sifting the rubble of the West Pharmaceutical plant for clues to what caused the deadly Jan. 29 explosion and fire. Steve Selk is the lead investigator for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board and has been in Kinston since shortly after the blast. Part of the mission for Selk and his team is to find out what happened and help eliminate similar risks elsewhere. Six people have died from injuries in the explosion. “What are the systems of safety? Do they protect people?” asks Selk. Working out of a trailer parked on the grounds of the condemned plant, the team has collected evidence nearly every day since the fire. In a back room, plastic tubs hold a cup filled with dust pulled from a fan assembly, charred pieces of ceiling tile, white plastic insulation, scraps of filter from a plant fan, even samples of clothes workers wore the day of the blast. All of it might hold traces of whatever fueled the explosion. Selk’s team is sticking with its early diagnosis that dust ignited and created the explosion and fires. Workers said giant fans kept much of the medical-supplies plant clear of dust, even the rubber processing and rolling rooms near where the blast ignited. Selk’s engineers and chemical processing technicians suspect tiny granules of compounds seeped above a dropped ceiling near there. Some disturbance could have pushed the dust aloft in that 10-foot-high space, fueling a blast big enough to rock the ground miles away. “In a classic dust explosion, material sits on horizontal surfaces until it gets shaken off,” said Selk, a chemical engineer. “It can cascade. A minor explosion can shake down a dust cloud that ignites. Then another cloud forms.” With a hired explosion expert and specialized software, the investigators are studying bowed steel girders and other damage to pinpoint the origin and force of the blast. In time, they will stage dust explosions in specialized chambers to calculate what concentration of a given compound, under what conditions, could fuel so big an explosion. They also have logged nearly 100 interviews with workers, emergency personnel and others. Twice a day, West Pharmaceutical lawyers hold briefings for state and federal investigators in the condemned plant’s unlit and unheated cafeteria.At one of those meetings, Selk met a visitor from a chemical company that used to sell a fine, combustible powder to West Pharmaceutical. Selk wonders whether that is what made it above the ceiling tiles. Selk said he hoped that the factory’s computers might yield important clues about what the plant’s machinery was doing at the time of the blast. But all were too badly damaged. “It would be useful to know in what stage of a batch sequence they were in,” said Selk, tramping carefully over muddy ground in disposable yellow boots. CSB investigators have cracked mysteries in big industrial disasters before. They documented how an undetected chemical reaction in a Georgia polymers plant created a molten geyser that killed maintenance workers. They showed how inadequate planning and supervision killed two Indiana steel workers who were sprayed by a flammable liquid that ignited while they were attempting to demolish a furnace. Unlike state labor officials who are also probing the Kinston explosion, the CSB will not take disciplinary action if they find any rules or regulations broken at West Pharmaceutical. In May or June, the board will hold a public meeting in Kinston to describe what it thinks caused the blast. Later it will recommend ways the government and the chemical industry can prevent it from happening again. 

Fire destroys business; Dust in machine ignites the steel polishing plant 
A fire ripped through a Borculo steel polishing plant Friday destroying the building and its contents after dust in a machine sparked flames that couldn’t be knocked down by employees. Fire officials said Borculo Polishing Inc., 9442 Henry Court in Blendon Township, was a complete loss from the fire, which started at about 2:30 p.m. Blendon Fire Chief Ken Haveman said the building was engulfed in flames when they arrived on scene. “There was nothing to save,” Haveman said. “When we got here, the building was fully involved from end to end.” The fire investigation points the source of the flames to a polishing and buffing machine that turns raw metal into polished steel plates, the fire chief said. “This is a dangerous industry,” Haveman said. “This is highly combustible material. It just takes a spark to ignite.” Four or five employees tried to put the fire out with extinguishers before firefighters arrived, but were quickly driven back, according to one employee. “I heard someone yell ‘Fire’ and saw a bunch of smoke, so I grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran over there,” said Pat Shoulders, an employee from Allendale. “We had to leave the building less than five minutes after we saw fire. It went that fast.” “It was amazing how fast it went up,” said Richard Dalman, an employee from Zeeland. Employees originally thought they contained the fire because they couldn’t see flames, but quickly fled the building when they were overcome by smoke and heat. “Smoke was rolling from floor to ceiling, you just couldn’t see,” Dalman said. “There was nothing we could do.” Firefighters initially tried an aggressive interior attack, but the heat and flames forced them to retreat and fight from the outside, according to Jim Harkess of the Allendale Fire Department. Extinguishing the fire was complicated by the difficulty of transporting water to the scene. The closest hydrant was several hundred yards away. Borculo Polishing makes various steel plating products for Herman Miller and the auto industry. The business owner, who declined to be identified, also said he didn’t want to comment on the fire. It is unknown whether the business plans to rebuild. Blendon firefighters called for assistance from eight local departments, including Olive, Allendale, Zeeland, Holland, Grand Haven, Robinson and Georgetown townships and the city of Zeeland.