Spokane police are investigating a car explosion that seriously injured a man and his 3-year-old daughter this afternoon.
The
explosion was in a car on West Garland Avenue at Howard Street, in
front of Sicilia Chiropractic PS. It happened about 2:17 p.m.
“We
have an explosion but are still not sure exactly what transpired,” Lt.
Rex Olson said. “We have a couple of people injured – non-life
threatening – but they do have substantial injuries.”
The man and
girl were rushed to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center with burns,
and the father was being prepared to be flown to the UW Medicine
Regional Burn Center at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Police and fire investigators are trying to determine what triggered the explosion.
“The information we’re getting from the person is he had some stuff in the front seat,” Olson said.
This story is developing and will be updated.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/04/girl-man-injured-spokane-car-explosion/
Monday, August 5, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Railways refuse to reveal toxic cargo
BRUCE BUMSTEAD/BRANDON SUN
Enlarge Image
Rail cars sit next to the tracks after a 2010 derailment in Brandon. 
But just what chemicals fill those tankers is a difficult question to answer.
According to Canadian Pacific Rail spokesman Andy Cummings, it's a delicate issue.
"That is a sensitive question and for security reasons we aren't going to be able to provide you with the specifics that you are looking for," Cummings said when asked to provide a list of what hazardous goods go through Brandon on CPR track.
The Canadian Railway Association recently estimated as many as 140,000 carloads of crude oil are expected to travel over the nation's tracks this year, up from only 500 carloads in 2009.
Some of that oil will come from a new facility in Cromer, where a facility will be designed to handle 30,000 barrels of crude per day, with plans to expand to 60,000 barrels per day.
Cummings said there is a plan in place in the event of a derailment.
"There is a process in place in which our railway ensures local officials and emergency responders have access to that information and we do work directly with them."
CN spokesman Mark Hallman felt equally compelled to keep the information out of the public's hands, choosing not to provide a list of dangerous goods.
"CN shares with responsible authorities, including municipal officials and responders, information on what commodities are handled through their jurisdiction," Hallman said.
"This is done to assist municipal emergency planners and responders in developing effective and realistic emergency response plans."
The information is only provided to emergency responders, however, if they acknowledge making the list public would be a security risk and they sign a document stating the list will only be used for emergency planning.
While the information is available, it isn't in municipal or police leaders' hands in Brandon.
Allison Collins, the city's communications director, confirmed the city has not been provided "with any list of dangerous goods by the rail companies."
Const. Ron Burgess, with the Brandon Police Service, said they aren't provided any dangerous goods list from the rail companies either.
A representative from the Brandon Fire Department said they aren't provided a list. At times, the department is made aware if a hazardous chemical is going to be stored in Brandon, but there is no list of potentially dangerous goods on the rail line.
Brandon Mayor Shari Decter Hirst told the Brandon Sun she hoped to get "a deeper understanding of the kinds of goods being transported through the city" during a meeting with a dangerous goods official from CN.
-- Brandon Sun http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/railways-refuse-to-reveal-toxic-cargo-218196472.html
Fatal car ‘explosion’ closes A1(M)
Details are unclear at the moment but The Highways Agency believes a
vehicle caught alight near the Coreys Mill roundabout in Stevenage and
pulled over to the hard shoulder, it then exploded.
A spokesman said: “There was only one vehicle involved and it has been confirmed that one person died in the accident.
“It looks like there was a car fire followed by an explosion, it closed the A1(M) southbound.”
The accident happened at 1.50pm, with both lanes closed roughly 45 minutes later, one lane reopened at 4.12pm.
Firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews from across Hertfordshire attended.
Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson was at the scene and hit out at voyeurs who filmed the carnage.
He tweeted: “I have just returned from serious RTC along the A1(M) in Stevenage and cannot believe people were filming the crash driving past #norespect.
“Not only disrespectful to those involved but risking their lives and the ‘blue light’ crews dealing with the incident!”
http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/fatal_car_explosion_closes_a1_m_1_1963448
A spokesman said: “There was only one vehicle involved and it has been confirmed that one person died in the accident.
“It looks like there was a car fire followed by an explosion, it closed the A1(M) southbound.”
The accident happened at 1.50pm, with both lanes closed roughly 45 minutes later, one lane reopened at 4.12pm.
Firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews from across Hertfordshire attended.
Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson was at the scene and hit out at voyeurs who filmed the carnage.
He tweeted: “I have just returned from serious RTC along the A1(M) in Stevenage and cannot believe people were filming the crash driving past #norespect.
“Not only disrespectful to those involved but risking their lives and the ‘blue light’ crews dealing with the incident!”
http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/fatal_car_explosion_closes_a1_m_1_1963448
Mexico blast blamed on explosive mix
2 August 2013
Last updated at 21:00 ET
Emergency services dug for days and used sniffer dogs in search for survivors
An official inquest says
the explosion that killed 37 people in January at the headquarters of
state oil firm Pemex, in Mexico City, was caused by a mix of methane gas
and solvent vapours.
The gas build-up in the basement rose from the soil and combined with the vapour of solvents used in maintenance.The initial spark was caused by an electrical or mechanical source, experts say.
They also blamed faulty building design for the basement’s poor ventilation.
The methane is believed to have come up from the soil underneath.
‘Oil spills’
The 54-floor Pemex building is 214m (702 ft) tall
The experts say the methane would not have built up in the basement if the building had had proper ventilation.
Several lower floors collapsed in the blast, injuring more than 100 people.
Many were trapped in rubble at the base of the 54-storey tower after the explosion, that happened as shifts were changing in the afternoon.
After six months of investigation, experts found objects which could have sparked the blast: a light cable extension, a lamp and a plug.
Pemex has experienced a number of fatal accidents in recent years.
Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto is expected to propose a shake-up of Pemex in his energy bill.
The reform is expected to be presented to the Mexican Congress next week.
Electrical issue likely cause of fire that killed 19 horses
Investigators have ruled out foul play as the cause of a barn fire that left 19 horses dead in Haughton Thursday evening.
State Fire Marshal and Bossier Sheriff’s Office officials believe the fire originated with an electrical issue with an air conditioning unit or breaker box. The investigation into the exact cause is ongoing.
The horses were stalled at River Point Racing and Equestrian Center and were racing or in training. The facility is owned by Alan Fox and is adjacent to Louisiana Downs.
Fox notified the nine owners Thursday night.
The horses were valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars and removed from the barn today for burial.
“We want to thank the fire and police for everything they did and working through the night,” Fox said.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130803/NEWS01/308030013/Electrical-issue-likely-cause-fire-killed-19-horses
State Fire Marshal and Bossier Sheriff’s Office officials believe the fire originated with an electrical issue with an air conditioning unit or breaker box. The investigation into the exact cause is ongoing.
The horses were stalled at River Point Racing and Equestrian Center and were racing or in training. The facility is owned by Alan Fox and is adjacent to Louisiana Downs.
Fox notified the nine owners Thursday night.
The horses were valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars and removed from the barn today for burial.
“We want to thank the fire and police for everything they did and working through the night,” Fox said.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130803/NEWS01/308030013/Electrical-issue-likely-cause-fire-killed-19-horses
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Explosions, fire destroy Lower Windsor Township maintenance building
Aug. 1, 2013-
Fire
destroyed a Lower Windsor Township municipal maintenance building and
its contents Thursday morning, according to York County 911 and reports
from the scene.
As of 10:35 a.m., Craley Fire Chief Jesse Frantz said the fire was under control, but it would take three to four hours before firefighters could leave the scene. Frantz said one firefighter was taken to York Hospital, possibly due to heat exhaustion.
The blaze, called out around 8 a.m., destroyed the building on Walnut
Valley Court near Hakes Hollow Road, according to Lower Windsor Township
Police Chief Tim Caldwell.
Caldwell said the building and its contents are a complete loss. Two municipal trucks and lawnmowers that were in use at the time were saved, but everything that was inside the building -- such as dump trucks, lawn mowers and pickups -- was destroyed.
The building also housed the Eastern York Area Recreational Commission, which runs a preschool, Lower Windsor Township Manager Maureen Hartman said. No one from the school was inside when the fire started, she said.
Explosions could be heard as fuel and other items caught fire inside the building, Caldwell said.
The cause of the fire is unknown. A state police fire marshal is investigating.
Dozens of crews were called to the scene from across the county and as far south as Harford County, Md.
A dark column of smoke was visible rising from the scene and could be seen from miles away.
http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_23772711/911-crews-responding-structure-fire-lower-windsor-township
Firefighters
hose down the remains of the Lower Windsor Township municipal
maintenance building on Thursday, August 1, 2013. The blaze, according
to Lower Windsor Township Police Chief Tim Caldwell destroyed the
building and its contents. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS -- JASON PLOTKIN)
As of 10:35 a.m., Craley Fire Chief Jesse Frantz said the fire was under control, but it would take three to four hours before firefighters could leave the scene. Frantz said one firefighter was taken to York Hospital, possibly due to heat exhaustion.
The blaze, called out around 8 a.m., destroyed the building on Walnut
Valley Court near Hakes Hollow Road, according to Lower Windsor Township
Police Chief Tim Caldwell. Caldwell said the building and its contents are a complete loss. Two municipal trucks and lawnmowers that were in use at the time were saved, but everything that was inside the building -- such as dump trucks, lawn mowers and pickups -- was destroyed.
The building also housed the Eastern York Area Recreational Commission, which runs a preschool, Lower Windsor Township Manager Maureen Hartman said. No one from the school was inside when the fire started, she said.
Explosions could be heard as fuel and other items caught fire inside the building, Caldwell said.
The cause of the fire is unknown. A state police fire marshal is investigating.
Dozens of crews were called to the scene from across the county and as far south as Harford County, Md.
A dark column of smoke was visible rising from the scene and could be seen from miles away.
http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_23772711/911-crews-responding-structure-fire-lower-windsor-township
Ventura Firefighters Investigating Cause Of Fire, Explosion At Business
Aug. 1, 2013-Investigators are trying to figure out what led to a fire outside of a
Ventura business which triggered an explosion as firefighters battled
the blaze.
It happened at around 10 last night, on the 4000 block of Transport Street. Ventura firefighters called to the scene by reports of a fire found a boat, a dumpster, a forklift, and two 55 gallon barrels on fire. One of the barrels exploded, created a stream of an unknown burning liquid.
Firefighters used foam to control the barrel blaze, and were able to stop the rest of the fire before it spread inside of the commercial building. No one was hurt.
http://www.kclu.org/2013/08/01/ventura-firefighters-investigating-cause-of-commerical-fire-explosion/
It happened at around 10 last night, on the 4000 block of Transport Street. Ventura firefighters called to the scene by reports of a fire found a boat, a dumpster, a forklift, and two 55 gallon barrels on fire. One of the barrels exploded, created a stream of an unknown burning liquid.
Firefighters used foam to control the barrel blaze, and were able to stop the rest of the fire before it spread inside of the commercial building. No one was hurt.
http://www.kclu.org/2013/08/01/ventura-firefighters-investigating-cause-of-commerical-fire-explosion/
Explosions at NW Portland condo building
July 30, 2013- At 2:19pm Portland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to the
report of several explosions, fire and smoke coming from an upper floor
of a seven story condo building at NW 9th and Hoyt. When crews responded
they found that the condo building was under renovation and had
scaffolding wrapped in plastic covering one entire side of the building.
Ladder Truck 3 raised it's aerial ladder to the affected section of the building while several additional crews took equipment directly to the seventh floor via an interior stairwell. When they arrived they found that several aerosolized cans of glue had apparently exploded punching holes in the exterior plastic covering the outside of the building. The explosions did not cause extensive damage. Investigators were being called to the scene to look at what may have ignited the cans. No injuries were reported.
http://www.oregonherald.com/oregon/local.cfm?id=4235
Ladder Truck 3 raised it's aerial ladder to the affected section of the building while several additional crews took equipment directly to the seventh floor via an interior stairwell. When they arrived they found that several aerosolized cans of glue had apparently exploded punching holes in the exterior plastic covering the outside of the building. The explosions did not cause extensive damage. Investigators were being called to the scene to look at what may have ignited the cans. No injuries were reported.
http://www.oregonherald.com/oregon/local.cfm?id=4235
Explosion levels vacant South Side home; gas still on
Aug. 1, 2013-Residents from all over the neighborhood flocked Wednesday morning to
the scene. Some who live a mile away, taking pictures of the
destruction with their cell phones, said the blast rocked their homes
and knocked items off their walls.
Pieces of the home were scattered over a half-block area, as were bits of glass, charred insulation,large wood frames and other pieces of lumber and even parts of the basement.
Fire officials say the house at 535 W. Cohasset Drive was vacant but still had natural gas service. No one was injured. Chief Fire Investigator Capt. Alvin Ware said Wednesday an official cause has not been determined. He said Dominion East Ohio will do tests to make sure a faulty gas line did not cause the explosion, and investigators are also trying to find out whether perhaps someone stealing gas appliances or copper pipes is to blame. Ware said the gas stove is missing, and a refrigerator was taken a couple of months ago.
The explosion wrecked a home next door at 539 Cohasset Ave., where an elderly couple was rescued. The 539 Cohasset Ave. home had almost all its windows knocked out, warped siding, and it appeared to be leaning.
John Mack III of 539 Cohasset said he was sleeping and was awakened “by glass falling into the bed.”
A neighbor helped Mack and his wife, Wanda, from the house. She was being treated for minor injuries. The couple has lived there for 41 years.
The 535 house has been abandoned for a while, Mack said. “But somebody broke into that house last night. I heard someone in there about 1 a.m.,” he said.
Scott Holley of Boardman was in the area to do home maintenance work on nearby Regent Street.
“I heard a loud boom. I was in my car when I heard it. Some neighbors came outside, and I said, ‘Where did that sound come from?’ and they said down the street, so I came down here. I saw the flames and smoke.
“I got out of the car and asked the neighbors if anyone lived in the house that had exploded. They said no,” but added that a couple was stuck in the adjacent house, Holley added.
Holley, formerly a firefighter in Orange County, N.Y., said he grabbed a fire extinguisher from his car, and then he and several other men entered the house and helped the Macks get out.
“We had to just clear the glass away from the steps so he could come down the stairs,” after the rescuers helped the man put his shoes on, Holley said.
Betty Croft, who lives across the street, said she saw someone from the gas company read the meter there Tuesday.
“He wasn’t shutting off the gas. He was just checking the meter there as he was going through the neighborhood,” Croft said.
At least four homes across the street, including Croft’s, had broken windows. Debris included a large amount of glass all over the street and in neighbors’ yards more than 100 feet away.
“I was inside the house, sitting right there, watching TV, and next thing, you know, I heard this big boom,” said Carrie Weaver of 540 Cohasset, directly across the street. The explosion broke all the windows while she was in her dining room.
The occupants of 535 Cohasset moved out about six months ago, but returned periodically after moving out, she said.
Weaver’s husband, Rodney who works the midnight shift, was in an upstairs front bedroom. “It scared me,” he said. “It woke me straight up. I’m like: ‘Oh my God, what happened?,’ and then I flew downstairs,” he said.
Also in the Weaver residence were a 4-year-old, a 14-year-old and two 16-year-olds. All evacuated through a back door.
Inez Neely lives on Rosedale about two houses up. She said the explosion and fire were unreal.
“I never heard anything like that explosion in all my life,” Neely said.
Rosie Bunkley and her husband Johnny Traylor live at West Warren and Rosedale avenues, which is behind the house, and also own a vacant home across the street. They said they were getting ready to go out when they heard a loud boom.
“I thought it was a car when it went off. It scared me,” Traylor said.
Bunkley said she heard an explosion and saw debris everywhere.
“I turn around, and I see things flying through the air,” Bunkley said.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/aug/01/explosion-levels-vacant-south-side-home-gas-still/?newswatch
Pieces of the home were scattered over a half-block area, as were bits of glass, charred insulation,large wood frames and other pieces of lumber and even parts of the basement.
Fire officials say the house at 535 W. Cohasset Drive was vacant but still had natural gas service. No one was injured. Chief Fire Investigator Capt. Alvin Ware said Wednesday an official cause has not been determined. He said Dominion East Ohio will do tests to make sure a faulty gas line did not cause the explosion, and investigators are also trying to find out whether perhaps someone stealing gas appliances or copper pipes is to blame. Ware said the gas stove is missing, and a refrigerator was taken a couple of months ago.
The explosion wrecked a home next door at 539 Cohasset Ave., where an elderly couple was rescued. The 539 Cohasset Ave. home had almost all its windows knocked out, warped siding, and it appeared to be leaning.
John Mack III of 539 Cohasset said he was sleeping and was awakened “by glass falling into the bed.”
A neighbor helped Mack and his wife, Wanda, from the house. She was being treated for minor injuries. The couple has lived there for 41 years.
The 535 house has been abandoned for a while, Mack said. “But somebody broke into that house last night. I heard someone in there about 1 a.m.,” he said.
Scott Holley of Boardman was in the area to do home maintenance work on nearby Regent Street.
“I heard a loud boom. I was in my car when I heard it. Some neighbors came outside, and I said, ‘Where did that sound come from?’ and they said down the street, so I came down here. I saw the flames and smoke.
“I got out of the car and asked the neighbors if anyone lived in the house that had exploded. They said no,” but added that a couple was stuck in the adjacent house, Holley added.
Holley, formerly a firefighter in Orange County, N.Y., said he grabbed a fire extinguisher from his car, and then he and several other men entered the house and helped the Macks get out.
“We had to just clear the glass away from the steps so he could come down the stairs,” after the rescuers helped the man put his shoes on, Holley said.
Betty Croft, who lives across the street, said she saw someone from the gas company read the meter there Tuesday.
“He wasn’t shutting off the gas. He was just checking the meter there as he was going through the neighborhood,” Croft said.
At least four homes across the street, including Croft’s, had broken windows. Debris included a large amount of glass all over the street and in neighbors’ yards more than 100 feet away.
“I was inside the house, sitting right there, watching TV, and next thing, you know, I heard this big boom,” said Carrie Weaver of 540 Cohasset, directly across the street. The explosion broke all the windows while she was in her dining room.
The occupants of 535 Cohasset moved out about six months ago, but returned periodically after moving out, she said.
Weaver’s husband, Rodney who works the midnight shift, was in an upstairs front bedroom. “It scared me,” he said. “It woke me straight up. I’m like: ‘Oh my God, what happened?,’ and then I flew downstairs,” he said.
Also in the Weaver residence were a 4-year-old, a 14-year-old and two 16-year-olds. All evacuated through a back door.
Inez Neely lives on Rosedale about two houses up. She said the explosion and fire were unreal.
“I never heard anything like that explosion in all my life,” Neely said.
Rosie Bunkley and her husband Johnny Traylor live at West Warren and Rosedale avenues, which is behind the house, and also own a vacant home across the street. They said they were getting ready to go out when they heard a loud boom.
“I thought it was a car when it went off. It scared me,” Traylor said.
Bunkley said she heard an explosion and saw debris everywhere.
“I turn around, and I see things flying through the air,” Bunkley said.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/aug/01/explosion-levels-vacant-south-side-home-gas-still/?newswatch
Kerosene explosions kill three in Ebonyi, fuel station sealed
Ebonyi State government has closed down a filling station,
Minsters Energy, believed to have sold adulterated kerosene that killed
one Miss Chidera Nwoba at Mbukobe in Abakaliki.
The 11-year-old girl was killed by an explosion from a kerosene product allegedly purchased from the filling station located in Abakaliki urban.
Incidents of kerosene explosion were also reported to have burnt beyond recognition two other victims, Chibueze Ugorji, 8, and Uche Kalueze, 6, from Akaeze in Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
Addressing newsmen in Abakaliki on Wednesday, Special Adviser to Governor Martin Elechi on Petroleum Product Pricing and Distribution, Chidi Ejem, explained that the filling station was closed down because its product did not meet the required standards for public usage.
He said the filling station would remain closed until its management is seen to have conducted itself within the confines of the regulations about kerosene transactions and incidents of kerosene explosion in the country.
He warned that if the families of the victims were not properly compensated by the owners of the filling station, as well meet other conditionalties on petroleum product distribution, the station would remain closed for a long time.
“When the explosion happened, we took our time to investigate the source. All the affected families we talked with, pointed towards the filling station under investigation.
“They said they bought the product from there. When we got to the filling station, there was no product. But, I managed to get a little quantity from their desktop.
“When the sample was tested at the NNPC depot laboratory, the manager confirmed to me that the product that caused the explosion was contaminated; or rather, I will say that the product did not meet the required specification.
“It was flashing at room temperature, which does not meet NNPC specification and can cause such explosion if not properly used.
“That’s why the station is still under lock and key. I have written my report to DPR and PPMC and they have their own action to take.
”Petroleum issue is not just for the state to take action alone; we are concerned about the safety of the lives of our citizens
“The filling station under investigation never passed through NNPC depot specification laboratory because they have their own depot.
“Assuming they passed through NNPC depot, they would have been able to find out where the problem is from before distribution to the general public”.
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/08/kerosene-explosions-kill-three-in-ebonyi-fuel-station-sealed/
The 11-year-old girl was killed by an explosion from a kerosene product allegedly purchased from the filling station located in Abakaliki urban.
Incidents of kerosene explosion were also reported to have burnt beyond recognition two other victims, Chibueze Ugorji, 8, and Uche Kalueze, 6, from Akaeze in Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
Addressing newsmen in Abakaliki on Wednesday, Special Adviser to Governor Martin Elechi on Petroleum Product Pricing and Distribution, Chidi Ejem, explained that the filling station was closed down because its product did not meet the required standards for public usage.
He said the filling station would remain closed until its management is seen to have conducted itself within the confines of the regulations about kerosene transactions and incidents of kerosene explosion in the country.
He warned that if the families of the victims were not properly compensated by the owners of the filling station, as well meet other conditionalties on petroleum product distribution, the station would remain closed for a long time.
“When the explosion happened, we took our time to investigate the source. All the affected families we talked with, pointed towards the filling station under investigation.
“They said they bought the product from there. When we got to the filling station, there was no product. But, I managed to get a little quantity from their desktop.
“When the sample was tested at the NNPC depot laboratory, the manager confirmed to me that the product that caused the explosion was contaminated; or rather, I will say that the product did not meet the required specification.
“It was flashing at room temperature, which does not meet NNPC specification and can cause such explosion if not properly used.
“That’s why the station is still under lock and key. I have written my report to DPR and PPMC and they have their own action to take.
”Petroleum issue is not just for the state to take action alone; we are concerned about the safety of the lives of our citizens
“The filling station under investigation never passed through NNPC depot specification laboratory because they have their own depot.
“Assuming they passed through NNPC depot, they would have been able to find out where the problem is from before distribution to the general public”.
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/08/kerosene-explosions-kill-three-in-ebonyi-fuel-station-sealed/
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