The problem we had was the potential that the cars would blevy...heat up until they exploded. The dynamics of the tanks cars however are such that the car would split, the split would travel to both ends then split around the end seems...send two very large, very heavy Frisbees potentially into a community.
The decision was made to blow all the tank cars and avoid the blevy. We brought in a demolitions team that probably would have done it for nothing but the fun of it. The two people who set off the charge set up behind a large stack of tractor tires that had come off of a derailed flatbed car...a quarter mile away.
They were engulfed by the resulting fireball...I was a quarter mile behind them...but were saved by diving into the tires. I expected to find bodies, instead I found two very happy and excited men who wanted to do it again.
At the time there were some experts calling it the largest non-nuclear fireball on record. It was impressive.
yes a fire ball that does not harm you is very exciting and impressive. I have enjoyed a fireball or two of my own already and walked away chuckling at the new guys on the crew who got as close to the ground a human can....I wish I got to see it I definately would have gotten a kick out of the...the best fireball I did was in the dumpster at my parents house to show my brother how explosive MRE's really are...lol