Posted on 12/06/2006 6:37:55 AM PST by Milwaukee_Guy
Edited on 12/06/2006 7:09:22 AM PST by Lead Moderator. [history]
Sounds bad from the links. So often, these things happen when nobody's arond and there's no loss of life, but sadly this sounds not so fortunate.
Confirmed as a propane-related explosion, per MSNBC.
You've got me on that one -- "heat treat bath explosion"
In an explosion there has to be a fuel that explosively combusts. What is the fuel in a heat treat bath explosion?
Hydraulic fluid on molten aluminum I get, but what can one drop of water do? Provide Oxygen to start molten aluminum burning? I am curous.
The eyewitness accounts, and the accounts of people many miles away who felt the blast are incredible. If nobody died, we will have experienced a miracle.
TV chopper showing utter devastation in a 100 to 150 yard radius.
MFD in the middle of the wreckage hosing down the wrekage.
MPD CP now reporting one fatality and one missing.
Public housing in the area being evacuated due to broken windows.
Temps currently at 34F.
WTMJ Milwaukee reporting 170,000 lb propane tank blew up.
Family members of Falk workers are to meet at TGIFriday's at Miller Park.
I've felt two explosions in my life. One was a chemical plant some miles from our home and the other was a dynamite truck that blew up in quarry more miles away than the first. It's rather unsettling to feel the force of the explosion through the walls and hear the windows rattle like that.
You're right. If no one died it will be a miracle. However, I fear that there are going to be some serious injuries, burns among them, and burns are the worst, IMO.
FOX 6 reporting three persons in critical condition at Freodert Hospital.
God Bless all those impacted by this event.
Our prayers are with you.....
Here's what I've heard/experienced:
Per a Falk employee -- Affected buildings:
Annex building destroyed - finished product storage (8-10 workers total in and around this building during a typical 1st shift).
Powerhouse destroyed and heavy damage on shops 3 and 4 of assembly (shop 4 holds 50-75 employees plus management offices).
Windows broken in the neighborhoods 1/4 mile or so away.
Metal sheet siding peeled from buildings 100 ft or more away.
Shockwave from explosion was felt and heard downtown.
At home, about 4-5 miles away, my wife called to say she was worried that something had happened in the neighbors house - after checking on our 2-year old to see if he'd fallen out of bed.
I am suprised that anyone escaped the building - it looked like a bomb was dropped on it from the fire and the debris pattern around the building.
Second incident at Falk - the 1st was in the 1970's.
The reports of a 170,000 lb propane tank exploding seems to be accurate.
Report on channel 12 is that gas leak was smelled and reported prior to 8AM -- supervisor reported that problem was fixed but employees left on their own prior to the explosion. About 15 minutes total elapsed in this timeline. The situation developed very quickly.
Great follow-up by the last few posters.
Keep it comming!
Has anybody rushed to the TV cameras yet to assure everyone there is no link to terrorism?
Some small debris fires still burning. Seeing lots of white smoke now.
The extent of the damage is remarkable.
Employees and other are being evacuated by city bus to Miller Park.
Presser scheduled for 10:00 am CST. Will probably be late as all pressers are.....
Then they are reporting mistakenly. Propane tanks don't explode. It is chemically impossible.
Propane gas can explode -- from a leak, but you just cannot cause a 170,000 lb tank to explode.
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